Gang ransacks office of Batticaloa daily

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 August 2002, 03:57 GMT]
The office of Thinakkathir, the Tamil daily paper published in Batticaloa, was ransacked by a gang Thursday night. A gang of more than five had forcibly entered the paper office around 11 p.m. tied up and blindfolded the staff and took away office equipment, Thinakkathir editor Mr. Kodeeswaran Rushangan told TamilNet. Two journalists were wounded in an attack on the office in Batticaloa town's high security zone on 26 December 2001.

The papers and documents were set on fire by the unidentified gang at the office of Thinakathir in Batticaloa. (Photo:TamilNet)

"The gang removed all our computers, printers and other electronic equipment and set fire to newspapers and documents. A worker from the Thinakkathir press and I were assaulted by the gang," the editor said.

"They came in a van. The persons who forced their way in to the office had their faces covered," Mr.Rushangan said. The gang locked up the editor, his wife and members of the staff in the office hall before it made off with the computers, printers, phone recorder etc.,

The Batticaloa police are investigating the matter.