Civilian shot dead, another missing since Friday, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 07:19 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving on motorbike shot dead a family man, Monday around 11:00 a.m, while he was eating in a food stall opposite Jaffna college, Vaddukodai. The killers, entering the food stall pretending to be normal customers, opened fire on the victim at point balk range, sources in Jaffna said.

The victim was identified as Murgesu Sangarapillai, 45, from Karainagar, from the National Identity Card found on his person.

Acting Magistrate of Mallakam division, Mr. K. Vasanthasenan who visited the site ordered the body to be handed over to Jaffna Teaching hospital, as Sangarapillai's family members had not claimed the body until then.

Sangarapillai, on his way to Jaffna town from his home in Karainagar on his motorbike, had stopped midway to have breakfast at the food stall, sources in Vaddukodai said.

Meanwhile, Gopalapillai Illankumaran, 27, a family man, had gone missing since Friday without trace after he left to his spouse's house in a motorbike, in Nunavil Chavakachcheri from his mother's residence in Vellanai, an islet of Jaffna.

Illankumaran had recently come from Vanni with identity documents showing his Vanni address and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers checking him on his way to Jaffna may have abducted him, his family members said.

Many, coming from the islets on personal errands to Jaffna town, have gone missing, according to media reports.