Two women assaulted in SLA custody

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 May 2000, 16:48 GMT]
Two young girls arrested by Sri Lanka Army soldiers on Sunday, were admitted to Batticaloa hospital Wednesday after they were severely assaulted in army custody, legal sources said.

Kala Alakaiah, 18, and Kubenthini Thillainathan,18, were arrested by the SLA stationed at Maavadivembu, about 20 kilometers north of Batticaloa, on 28 May. The army handed them over to Eravur police Tuesday. The court remanded the women. They were admitted to the hospital by the prison officials, the sources said.

Meanwhile seven youths were arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) elite troops at Chithamparapuram in Vavuniya during a cordon and search operation Tuesday, according to a complaint made with Human Rights Commission (HRC).

Mr. Sreetharan, the chairman of the HRC in Vavuniya said the youth were handed over to Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) of the police.

The arrested youths were identified as:

1. Selvaraj Sreeharan,17, of Chithamparan Welfare Centre
2. Vadivel Krishnakumar,18,
3. Kathiresan Jeevathas,23,
4. David Arokiyathasan,23,
5. Ramasamy Vijeyakumar,25,
6. Mahenthiran Nakenthirakumar,23,
7. Vadivel Suthakar,18, (also known as Eesan)

Elsewhere in Vavuniya, Yogeswaran Rajkumar,18, of Vepankulam was arrested at Pandarikulam on Monday, May 28. Meanwhile Thuraisingham Lakshman,18 of Thaneerootu, Mulliyavali who was arrested in the Vavuniya town on Sunday is currently detained at the 21-1 Brigade HQ, Mr.Sreetharan said.