2ND LEAD

Journalist slain in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 May 2008, 14:29 GMT]
Jaffna correspondent of Sakthi TV station, Paranirupasingam Thevakumar, 34, was abducted while he was returning to his residence in Vaddukkoaddai and hacked to death in Kaakkaitheevu, a barren land, Wednesday around 4:00 p.m., initial reports from Jaffna said. A friend of him was seriously injured and succumbed to the injuries at Jaffna hospital.



Mr. Thevakumar, a young family man who married last year, was one of the few who dared to work from Jaffna at a time many reporters of the mainstream media have fled Jaffna. He was also in charge of the telecast station of Sakthi TV in Jaffna.

His friend, who died at Jaffna hospital, was identified as Mahenthiran Varathan, 28, a staff worker at the District Secretariat of Jaffna.

Sakthi TV is owned by one of the largest privately-held media corporations, the Maharajah Television (MTV) and operates MTV English, Sirasa TV in Sinhala and Sakthi TV in Tamil.

Chronology: