EPDP Jaffna Deputy Mayor placed in remand prison

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 16:57 GMT]
Jaffna magistrate Mr. Anantharajah ordered Monday the second suspect Ilango alias Regan, Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, for alleged involvement in threatening Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, to be placed in Jaffna remand prison until 24 May, when he was arrested and produced in Jaffna magistrate court, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, ruling party Jaffna Mayor announced that all employees of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) are to abstain from duties Tuesday in protest against the arrest and detention of the Deputy Mayor, the sources added.
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Lawyers continue to abstain from appearing in courts in Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 18:10 GMT]
Lawyers in Jaffna peninsula continue to abstain from appearing in courts in protest against the alleged death threats by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) key operatives to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna High Court Judge, R. T. Vignarajah summoned an urgent meeting Thursday attended by the magistrates, police officials and lawyers in Jaffna peninsula where he informed that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse had assured him that immediate action will be taken to maintain law and order in the peninsula and requested the lawyers to give up their boycott of courts, legal sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA provides protection to Chaavakachcheari court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 14:16 GMT]
In the wake of alleged death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) operatives, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, Major Gen. Mahintha Kathurusinghe, has provided military protection to Chaavakachcheari courts in addition to police protection from Tuesday. The Commander said that he has also arranged for military protection to Pirabakaran’s vehicle when he travels from Jaffna to Chaavakachcheari and back. Meanwhile, another suspect in the above case, Regan, Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, a key operative of EPDP, has gone into hiding following his associate Charles, EPDP Thenmaraadchi organizer, being arrested and detained in Jaffna prison, sources in Jaffna said.
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SL Military Intelligence men issue death threats to Thenmaraadchi journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 10:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Military Intelligence wing men in Jaffna Monday issued death threats to the journalists who covered the case of alleged death threats to Chaavakachcheari Magistrate K. Pirabakaran by EPDP operatives when it was taken for inquiry Monday in Chaavakachcheari court and published news of it in the local dailies, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. The intelligence men had first gone to the offices of the dailies that had published the news and procured the addresses of the said journalists in Thenmaraadchi before going to their houses, the sources added.
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EPDP operative to be placed in remand in Jaffna prison

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 08:04 GMT]
Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran Monday ordered suspect EPDP coordinator of Thenmaraadchi, Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles arrested for suspected involvement in the abduction and killing of student Kapilnath and for allegedly threatening Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, to be placed in remand prison, when he was produced in Chaavakachcheari court, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. Meanwhile, the lawyers practising in Chaavakachcheari court did not appear in court Monday condemning the death threat issued to magistrate Pirabakaran, the sources added.
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Withdrawal of SLA forces from Jaffna peninsula to be reconsidered

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 05:00 GMT]
The earlier decision taken by Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahintha Kathursinghe to withdraw SLA forces in stages is to be reconsidered as per request of newly appointed Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahintha Rajapakse, Mahintha Kathurusinghe told the editors of Jaffna dailies in a meeting Sunday night at Gnanams Hotel SLA base. The decision is to be reconsidered due to the current deterioration of law and order in Jaffna peninsula which the Defence Secretary explored into with the key officials of SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) at Palaali SLA Head Quarters Saturday, the Major General told the editors. He further alleged that armed men of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), were involved in the social crimes in Jaffna peninsula in the meeting with the editors.
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SL Police arrests EPDP operative in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 23:53 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police in Chaavakachcheari Sunday arrested the EPDP coordinator of Thenmaraadchi zone, Alexander Soosaimuththu alias Charles, for allegedly threatening Chavakachcheari Magistrate K. Prabakaran for having issued arrest warrant on EPDP suspects involved in the abduction and murder of student Kapilnath. Mr. Charles would be brought to the courts on Monday, according to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, who met local press at Gnanam Hotel Sunday night.
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SLA protection provided to Chaavakachcheari magistrate’s residence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 05:10 GMT]
On instructions by Judicial Service Commission and Justice Secretary to Jaffna Superintendent of Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, military protection in addition to police protection is provided from Friday to the residence of Chaavakachcheari Magistrate, P. J. Pirabakar’s residence in Paa’ndiayan Thaazhvu in Jaffna in the context of allegations reported to Chaavakachcheari Court by Paandiyan Thaazhvu residents against two key men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) for trespass into Magistrate Pirabakar’s residence more than two times with the intention of issuing death threats or to kill him, sources in Jaffna said.
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2 EPDP men alleged of attempting to issue death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2010, 15:33 GMT]
Chaavakachcheari Magistrate, P. J. Pirabakar Friday directed Chaavakachcheari police to investigate into an allegation against Jaffna Deputy Mayor Thurairajah Ilango alias Regan and Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) organizer for Thenmaraadchi, for engaging in activities aimed at issuing death threats to Magistrate Pirbakar or in attempts to kill him, sources in Chaavakaccheari said. Soosaimuthu was the EPDP contestant in the parliamentary elections. The allegation was made to Chaavakachcheari magistrate court in a letter where the residents of Paa’ndiyan Thaazhvu had informed that the above mentioned EPDP persons were seen to move about with weapons in the area for three days since Tuesday where magistrate Pirabakar lives in Paa’ndiyan Thaazhvu, with the motive to issue death threat or to kill him, the sources added.
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Jaffna MP accuses EPDP of illegal sand excavation in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 05:38 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian, E. Saravanbhavan publicly raised accusation against Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent party of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for having appropriated exclusive rights to excavate sand for building construction in Ma’nattkaadu in Vadamaraadchi East using illegal means making millions of rupees, in a press report, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, EPDP Minister Dougals Devananda, in response to Saravanabhavan’s accusation, said that the EPDP firm engaged in sand excavation is registered in Sri Lanka parliament and the increase in the demand for sand is due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) permitting only a limited number of lorries to transport sand from Ma’nattkaadu SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), in a media report, the sources added.
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EPDP men accused of intimidating SLFP organizers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 April 2010, 10:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) candidates of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) who contested Jaffna electorate allied with Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) led by former Minister Douglas Devananda accused EPDP men for intimidating them when they were coming out of Jaffna Secretariat after the vote count, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the four defeated SLFP candidates, being the organizers of the party in Jaffna district, have been instructed to stay in the peninsula and to continue to work for the party by Basil Rajapakse, the senior advisor to President Rajapakse and his brother. EPDP authorities fear that these four persons as SLFP organizers will be functioning as representatives of the government which would negatively affect their power.
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Lowest number of votes registered in Jaffna electoral district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2010, 18:31 GMT]
Only 18 to 20 percent of the voters in Jaffna electoral district cast their votes in the parliamentary elections Thursday recording the lowest in island, while the voting percentage in the whole country was from 52 to 55 percent, according to Election Monitoring Agencies. Jaffna electoral district, compared to other electoral districts, recorded the lowest turn over of voters where voting percentage in Thenmaraadchi was higher than that of Vadamaraadchi while voting was very low in the islets of Jaffna, the sources said. Compared to the recent presidential election where the voting was low the voting turn out was even less in the parliamentary election in Jaffna electoral district.
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SLA shoots on persons transporting sand in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 April 2010, 16:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers opened fire Sunday evening on three youths on a tractor transporting sand for building purposes without stopping at the SLA check post in Allaarai area in Thenmaraadchi, sources in Chavakachcheari said. The soldiers were able to take two of them into custody while the third person had run off. Kodikaamam police to whom the two persons were handed over to produced them at Chaavakachcheari magistrate court Monday. The court ordered the two youths to be placed in remand prison.
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Court orders arrest warrant for EPDP person in abduction, homicide case in Chaavakachcheari

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 March 2010, 17:01 GMT]
Chaavakachcheari Magistrate, P. J. Pirabakar, Monday directed the police to arrest Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) member Jeevan, the prime suspect in the abduction and killing of Thiruchelvam Kapilthev and ordered action to be taken to prevent the suspect leaving the country, sources in Jaffna said. One of the fellow students of the victim arrested and detained had said in his statement to police that the said Jeevan was the key person in plotting the abduction and killing of Kapilthev, the sources added.
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Body of abducted student for ransom in Thenmaraadchi recovered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 March 2010, 18:00 GMT]
Chaavakachcheari police recovered Saturday the body of the 17-year-old student who was abducted from his house in Madaththadi in Chaavakachcheari North on 14 March for a ransom of 30 million rupees, from the backyard of a house on Dutch Road in Chaavakachcheari, sources in Jaffna said. The body was recovered from the plantain garden in the backyard of one of the three friends of the victim arrested and detained in Jaffna prison, the sources added.
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Teenage student abducted for ransom in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 March 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Unidentified men arriving at the house of a popular merchant in Madaththadi in Chaavakachcheari North abducted his son, a 17-year-old student of a leading educational institution in Jaffna, Sunday night around 11:00 p.m, according to complaints lodged by his father with Chaavakachcheari and Jaffna police stations. The abductors kept demanding 300 million rupees as ransom to release the boy using various phones from the time of abduction until Monday dawn and had threatened to kill the boy if the money is not paid, the merchant said. The abductors had mentioned the names of some political parties contesting parliamentary election in Jaffna district while demanding ransom, he further said.
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SLA demolishes Liberation Tigers’ Heroes’ Resting Homes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 February 2010, 05:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Jaffna peninsula is actively engaged in demolishing the Heroes’ Resting Homes (HRH) of fallen Liberation Tigers in Uduppidi, Kodikaamam, Koappaay and Veala’nai in the islets of Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Foreign media persons now visiting Jaffna peninsula in large numbers who show a keen interest in visiting the HRHs are shocked to witness the systematic demolishment of war heroes’ memorial monuments which are given due respect all over the world.
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SLA refuses permission to residents to enter HSZs in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 February 2010, 03:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers did not allow the people evicted from SLA High Security Zones (HSZs) in Jaffna peninsula to enter the HSZs in Thellippazhai and Jaffna town when they went to see their lands and houses Sunday. Prior to the presidential election the government had promised them resettlement in the HSZs and SLA soldiers had allowed them to go and see their properties during day time but now they had been denied permission even to enter the HSZs, sources in Jaffna said.
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EPDP supporters set fire to SLTB bus in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 January 2010, 10:33 GMT]
Eelam People’s Democracy Party (EPDP) supporters set fire to a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus Saturday morning in a shutdown protest demanding Minister Douglas Devananda not to resign his post, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers forced open the few shops in Jaffna town which had been closed in fear of EPDP supporters who had called for the shutdown protest, the sources added. Minister Douglas Devananda, the leader of EPDP, had told his supporters that he was going to resign his minister post for being the reason for Mahinda Rajapakse’s defeat in Jaffna peninsula in the presidential election, the sources added. This is but a political stunt in view of the parliamentary general election expected in April or May, political observers in Jaffna said.
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SLA, SLN restrictions in Jaffna peninsula imposed again

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 January 2010, 04:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) which had relaxed their various restrictions in Jaffna peninsula prior to president election have begun to impose them again actively, sources in Jaffna said. These restrictions include the checking of passengers travelling within the peninsula and to the islets of Jaffna besides access to their places in the SLA High Security Zones (HSZs), they said. People of Ezhuthumadduvaa’l in Thenmaraadchi who were told by Minister Douglas Devananda and SLA officials that they would be permitted to resettle in their places immediately after the presidential election were turned back when they tried to go to their homes Friday.
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