2ND LEAD

Paramilitary threatens Batticaloa Tamil MPs not to vote against budget, abducts family member

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 November 2007, 11:18 GMT]
Armed paramilitary men from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated Pillayaan Group entered the house of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian T. Kagagasabai and abducted the Batticaloa MP's son-in-law around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The group has threatened to kill the abductee if Mr. Kanagasabai voted against SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa's budget on Monday. The abduction took place at the police-protected house of the parliamentarian at Ka'luthaava'lai. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Police has withdrawn the security provided to all Batticaloa district TNA MPs residences in Batticaloa on Sunday.

The abducted victim, S. Sajitharan, 37, is a teacher.

Meanwhile, Police security provided to Batticaloa district parliamentarians Mrs. K. Thangeswari, and P. Ariyanenthrian has been removed as the TNA parliamentarians were receiving telephone threats from the paramilitary group not to vote against Mahinda Rajapaksa's budget.

The paramilitary group's chief operative, Pillayaan, has issued telephone threats to some of the parliamentarians, TNA sources said.

Chronology: