Youths charged in Uthayan killings released on bail

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 May 2006, 21:21 GMT]
Four students and two traders arrested by the Sri Lanka security forces Tuesday as suspects in the Uthayan killings and produced Wednesday at the Jaffna Courts were released on bail by Jaffna Additional Magistrate Ms. Sirinithi Nandasegaran after being subjected to an identification parade held in the presence of the magistrate, said sources from Jaffna.

42 persons participated in the identification parade, conducted in six groups. A security guard and two staffers from Uthayan offices did not identify any of the 42 as the gunmen, added the sources.

Ms. Srinithi Nandasegaran, presiding over the identification parade, then released the six arrested on personal bail each worth 10,000 rupees and fixed the next date of trial to May 12 2006.

Earlier it was believed that the Police had arrested only the four students. The two traders who were also arrested are Selvarajan Janarthan 27 and Rathinam Sabesan 22, employees in a food shop in the Jaffna town area, sources said.

The traders were playing cards after their food shop closed business, when they were arrested by Sri Lanka security forces immediately after the Uthayan killings, said the two youths in the courts.

The security force personnel assaultedt the youths before handing them over to the Police, the traders and students told the magistrate.

The six released were bailed out by their relatives, legal sources said.