Youth's decapitated body found in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 August 2006, 16:05 GMT]
Siruppiddi petrol station owner, Visvalingam Kauroopan, 24, from Karanavai, missing since Sunday, was found slain with his throat cut and his headless body dumped in the disused Siruppiddi Kannaki Amman temple festival-pool Monday, sources from Jaffna said. Mallakam magistrate Ms Sarojini Ilangovan who visited the crime site directed that his body be released to his relatives.

Mr Kauroopan left the petrol station for lunch at 3 p.m. Sunday when he went missing.

His relatives have registered complaints with the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) that the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troopers were responsible for his killing. Relatives told HRC members that Kauroopan was last seen being detained at the nearby Siruppiddy army sentry post that is located along the Point Road.

His relatives drew the attention of the HRC rights group that he was most to the blood found at the sentry.

Relatives told Human Rights Commission that Kauroopan had recently passed information to army higher officials on a recent incident of attempted rape of a young girl by SLA troopers, and that they believed that this was a revenge killing.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Hindu College students for the second day running, blocked KKS Road, Kastooriar Road and other main roads leading into Jaffna Town, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, by burning tyres and setting up road blocks protesting at the SLA attack on their Vice Principal Krishnakumar. Jaffna's entire schools were shut down Monday as a protest for the attack on the vice principal, Jaffna sources said

Elseware in Jaffna, a youth riding a motorcycle along Kathirippai Road in Atchchuveli was shot dead by unknown gunmen at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. The victim has not yet been identified.