Clothing store owner killed in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2006, 03:26 GMT]
P. Sivasankar, 28, from Meesalai and owner of a clothing store in Chavakacheri town was shot dead at 5.30 p.m. Tuesday on Dutch Road by gunmen suspected to be Sri Lanka Army (SLA) intelligence, sources in Jaffna said. Sivasankar, originally from Erlalai in Valigamam, was displaced from his home town, married and settled in Meesalai, sources said.

Sivasankar closed his shop after business on Tuesday and was going towards his home when the suspected intelligence operatives following in a motorbike shot him before escaping the scene, witnesses said.

The body was transported to Chavakachcheri Teaching Hospital for postmortem examinations.

Meesalai residents said two of Sivasankar's in-laws who owned the Clothing Store received death threats from SLA intelligence for several months. Both left Sri Lanka fearign for their lives and have now taken refuge in Tamil Nadu.

Sivasankaran used to work as a helper at the Clothing store owned by the in-laws. Meesalai residents said Sivasankaran was likely killed as retaliation for the escaped in-laws.