Daytime robberies escalate in Ampaa’rai district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 July 2010, 04:53 GMT]
Unidentified persons have been robbing in Kalmunai, Chaainthamaruthu and Ma’l'likaikkaadu areas in the last few weeks and no suspects have been arrested though complaints have been lodged with the local police, residents of the above areas said. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress parliamentarian M. H. Harais told Parliament during last month sessions that paramilitary men were operating openly in their vehicles in Ampaa’rai district. He had further accused that the paramilitary men were involved in various criminal activities besides being a danger to the public.

Ampaa’rai district is under the full control of Special Task Force (STF) commandos who patrol the streets twenty-four hours and the above robberies could not have taken place without STF connivance, the complainants said. More than ten houses and shops in Kalmunai police division had been robbed and no one has been arrested so far though complaints have been made to Kalmunai police.

A doctor’s house in Kalmunaikkudi, the house of Kalmunai Zahira National College Principal’s house, various shops, hand phone shop, a lady teacher’s house on Haajaa Makkaam street and a farmer’s house in Ma’l'likaikkaadu are some of the places robbed.

The stolen goods are sold in the neighbouring villages by the robbers, local residents said.

Robberies also take place in the nights in places without electricity and when people are not in their houses.