2ND LEAD (CORRECTION)

CCD Police interrogates senior Tamil journalists in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 March 2009, 11:04 GMT]
Colombo Crime Division police in Demattagoda interrogated Saturday and Sunday the President of Sri Lankan Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA), Vice President and Secretary in connection with Chudaroli Editor Vithyatharan who was ‘abducted’ first and later claimed ‘arrested’ and now detained at the Crime Division of the police in Demattagoda, media circles in Colombo said. Some Tamil journalists working for the English media too have been subjected to similar interrogation, the sources added.

All particulars of the persons including their native place, permanent address, phone number and their relationship with Vithyatharan had been recorded as statements in Sinhalese language with their signatures.

The above interrogations were conducted individually and in a cordial manner, the journalists said, according to media reports in Colombo.

This is the first time senior Tamil journalists have been interrogated with the arrest of one of their fellow journalists.

Meanwhile, Crime Division Police have gone to the office of Uthayan Tamil daily in Jaffna where they had interrogated the news editor of Uthayan, sources in Jaffna said.

Chronology: