3RD LEAD (Update)

Tamil, Sinhala policemen slain in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 November 2018, 10:31 GMT]
Unknown attackers have killed two SL policemen, a Tamil and a Sinhalese, who were manning a check post near Valai-i'ravu bridge, 5 km south-west of Batticaloa city in the early hours of Friday. 23-year-old Ganesh Dinesh, a Tamil policeman from Periya-neelaava'nai in Ampaa'rai was found shot and killed and bound to his chair outside the check-post. 34-year-old W N L Prasanna from Udugama in Galle was found dead at his bed inside the post with cut injuries to his throat. Residents said the killings could be related to a dispute between the police and a criminal gang operating with its backing. However, Colombo media was quick to blame it on Rajapaksa-aligned ex-paramilitary V. Muralitharan alias Karuna.

The incident has taken place somewhere between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., SL police sources said.

The killers have used T-56 type gun, according to the initial reports.

They killers have also taken away the handguns of the slain policemen.

A special investigation squad from Colombo had arrived to investigate the crime.

The investigating squad has been selectively interrogating former LTTE members, rights activists in Batticaloa said.



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