Sleeping fisherman killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Soosaimuthtu Arulanantham (43), a fisherman, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Saturday night at around 2:00 a.m., at Navalady beach, 5km south of Batticaloa. He was killed while he was asleep in an open hut before going out to sea, said sources in Batticaloa.

Arulanantham was sleeping with three other fishermen when he was shot.

His companions ran away in confusion at the sound of gunfire and are unable to establish the identity of the killers with any certainty.

Navalady is under the control of the Sri Lanka Army.

It is customary for fishermen to sleep on the beach in open huts, known as 'Vaadi', at night, before going out to fish at dawn.

The body of Arulanantham was brought to the Batticaloa Hospital.

At the inquest, Acting Judge, Batticaloa, K. Thiyagarajah pronounced that Arulanantham had been murdered, and instructed the police to submit a report after conducting investigations and to produce the suspects in court.