Grama Sevaka officer killed in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 18:07 GMT]
The Grama Sevaka officer (GS) of Kinniyadi division in Valaichenai, Mr. Alagaratnam Jeevaratnam, 51, was shot and killed by two motorbike-riding gunmen Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. The incident took place in front of his residence at Vinayakapuram in Valalichenai, police said. Two friends of Mr. Jeevaratnam were seriously wounded in the attack. The gunmen also lobbed a grenade, police said. Valaichenai is located 32 km north of Batticaloa town.

Mr. Jeevaratnam is the third GS officer to be targeted within a year in the district, sources said.

The wounded persons Mr. Balasundaram Easwaralingam, 41, and Mr. Rasanayagam Jeyakumar, 18, were talking with the GS in front of his residence.

The motive behind the attack is not clear, according to Valaichenai police conducting investigations into the kiling.