Defence claims Tharsini case Cap belongs to Batticaloa SLA trooper

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 11:48 GMT]
When the murder case of Ilayathamby Tharsini, 20, who was raped and murdered on 18 December in Punguduthivu near Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) camp was taken up for hearing Monday, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) claimed that the Military Cap which was found near the site of the well where Tharsini's body was found belonged to a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier currently assigned for duty at a SLA camp in Batticaloa, legal sources said.

The said SLA trooper was produced before Kayts magistrate P Subramaniam.

The CID submitted a report to the Judge listing their findings and requested permission from the Judge to obtain a statement from the Batticaloa SLA soldier. The Judge allowed the CID their request.

Human Rights lawyer and Attorney appearing for Tharsini's family, Mr Remedius, rejecting the findings, condemned the CID for not carrying out investigations at the SLN camp, said that there is no reason that a cap from a trooper in Batticalo to appear in Punguduthive and that there is every reason to believe that the cap belonged to a sailor at the Punguduthivu SLN camp.

The hearing was postponed to a later date, legal sources said.