Puththa'lam court orders remand for naval rating

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 05:28 GMT]
Puththa'lam District Judge Thursday ordered remand till April 21 for a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) rating for accepting a gratification on the promise of securing release of a fisherman disappeared on February 2 at Kalpiddi, legal sources said.

Joseph Arul Aanandan, a fisherman left Kalpiddi on February 2 and did not return home. His wife made a complaint to the Kalpiddi police, and thereafter made representation to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. The matter was also reported to the Presidential Commission on the Disappeared.

Anura Christopher, brother of the disappeared fisherman, made a complaint to the police that he had paid a gratification of about Rs: 142,000 to A.K.D.C.Suranga Kumara of Wijeya Naval Base at Kalpity on the promise of securing the release of the missing.

But Arul Anandan has not been seen yet..

Meanwhile, the police arrested the suspect Navy rating and produced him first at Puththa'lam court and then at Kalpiddi court. Both courts ordered remand for the suspect.

When the suspect was produced in Puththa'lam court on Thursday, the judge ordered further remand till April 21, legal sources said