SLN arrests 5 including temple priest in Veala'nai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 May 2007, 00:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers arrested the chief priest and the Temple Trustee Board Chairman of Perunkulam Muththumaariamman Hindu temple at Veala'nai in Kayts Wednesday around 10:00 a.m along with three workers, when the temple authorities informed the SLN of explosives found in the temple building site, sources in Kayts said.

The said temple is located close to Mudippi'l'layaar Temple in Veala'nai west where the chief priest was one among the six shot dead during SLN search Sunday morning.

S. Jeganathan, the Chairman of the Temple Trustee Board, was arrested along with the chief priest.

The SLN had earlier directed Muththumaariamman temple authorities to remove the scaffolding set up for repairs on the temple main tower, following the Muddippi'l'layaar temple fire fight.

The workers, carrying out the directive, had found a small parcel of explosives inside the scaffolding.

The arrested were not released until Wednesday evening.

The SLN commander killed in an earlier attack by unknown armed youth Saturday is said to be the officer-in-charge of public relations.

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