Armed robberies escalate in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2009, 11:08 GMT]
Masked armed men robbed three houses, threatening the owners at gunpoint, at Puthukkudiyiruppu in Vaazhaichcheanai police division Thursday night, according to complaints lodged with the police. One of the houses robbed is located 200 m from the office of TMVP Pillayan paramilitary group, on Vaazhaicheanai Maadi Veethi.

Thursday around 12:30 p.m unidentified gunmen snatched away the gold chain of a woman going along a road in Vaazhaicheanai.

Three day ago, armed men entering a house after removing the tiles of the roof, cut the ear lobes away of an elderly woman asleep, with the earrings on it. The husband of the woman too had been attacked by the robbers and the seriously injured couple is admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

Three weeks ago, gunmen had robbed cash and jewelries from shops in Ka’n’nan Kiraamam and Vinaayakapuram in Batticaloa.

Though complaints about the above robberies have been made to Vaahzichcheanai police no action has been taken, the complainants said.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who held a meeting with the people of Puthukkudiyiruppu Thursday told them that they are unable to arrest the robbers but if the people in the houses could throw acid on the robbers when they enter the houses the robbers could be identified.