Arson destroys 3 shops in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 May 2007, 19:39 GMT]
Unidentified persons doused petrol and set fire to a hardware store located between Kaaddupa'l'li junction and Bus-stand junction, on Ea'raavoor Main Street in Batticaloa district Sunday 00:20 a.m, sources in Batticaloa said. Two shops adjoining the hardware store were also completely burnt. Damage is estimated to run into millions of rupees.

A fruit shop next to these shops has also been damaged.

A group of youths had requested all shops in Ea'raavoor to be shut Saturday as a mark of condolence to the home guard shot dead Wednesday at the First Mile Post area on Ea'raavoor-Punnakudaa road, and owners of the shops complied with the request.

But most of the shops were opened according to the request made by Ea'raavoor police, Saturday around 10:00 a.m, and the hardware shop was one among them.

After the arson, all shops and business establishments in Ea'raavoor observed a complete shut down protesting against the burning of the three shops.

Ea'raavoor shops will not be opened until the perpetrators are caught and legal action taken against them, traders in Ea'raavoor said.

The people of the area were unable to buy their needs due to the shut down.

Ea'raavoor police are conducting investigation into the arson.

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