Jaffna Mayor's killing claimed

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An organisation called 'Sangiliyan Force' claimed responsibility yesterday evening for the assassination of Jaffna Mayor, Mrs. Sarojini Yogeswaran, in a message sent to Uthayan, the only Tamil daily published in Jaffna.

It said that they had issued several warnings earlier urging her to resign, and that this was the outcome of her not considering their warnings. It warned other local government members to resign also.

The message was signed by K. Sureshkumar, Jaffna District leader of the organisation.

Several similar warnings had been issued earlier, but no one had taken them seriously, said a TamilNet correspondent in Jaffna.

Meanwhile Mr. Paramasivam, member of the Jaffna Municipal Council has said the he would resign from his post.

Paramasivam, was with Mrs. Yogeswaran at the time of the shooting, and was wounded in the leg.

Jaffna Mayor Sarojini Yogeswaran was shot dead yesterday morning around 10:30 a.m. at her residence near Pillayarkovil (temple) near Jaffna town.

She was shot in the chest five times with a pistol. She died on the way to Jaffna Hospital.

Sarojini Yogeswaran became mayor of Jaffna after the local government elections in the Jaffna District and the Pachchilapallai Division of the Kilinochchi District in January last year.

The Jaffna Municipal Council began functioning in April this year.

The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) cordoned off the area near Ms. Sarojini Yogeswaran's residence and the Jaffna Hospital, said sources.

Intensive checking is taking place in Jaffna, but there are no reports of arrests being made said the sources.

Mrs. Yogeswaran's husband was also a member of the TULF. He was shot dead in Colombo in 1989, along with the TULF leader Mr. A. Amirthalingam. The LTTE was blamed.