Bubulla Vihare Chief Incumbent injured in grenade attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 July 2004, 17:12 GMT]
Venerable Lendigele Sudassi, Chief Incumbent of the Bodhirukkaharamaya Temple in Bubulla in Hingurakgoda where last Tuesday midnight the Hingurakgoda Police arrested fourteen suspected Karuna faction Tamil youths with automatic weapons, was seriously injured in a grenade attack that took place Thursday around 7.30 p.m., police said.

He was admitted to the Hingurakgoda hospital immediately. However sources in Hingurakgoda said he is to be transferred to Colombo late Thursday night as his condition is reported critical, sources said.

Venerable Sudassi is a member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and unsuccessfully contested the last general election on the JHU ticket in the Polonnaruwa district.

It is to be recalled that on a tip-off a special police team led by Inspector C.D.Madanayake had rushed to Bubulla on Tuesday midnight arrested a group of Tamils youths in the Bodhirukkaharamaya Temple. Later Inspector Madanayake said they recovered three T-56 rifles, one T-84 rifle, three hand grenades, nine mobile phones and a stock of pharmaceutucals among other things. It is reported that the Police also seized a car and van in which the group had arrived to the Vihare, sources said.

However all the fourteen Tamil youths were later allowed by the Polonnaruwa Additional District Judge Mr.K.Sivapathasuntharan on personal bail.