2ND LEAD (UPDATE)

Six-year-old girl recovered dead in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 2009, 12:48 GMT]
Unidentified men who abducted Wednesday a six-year-old girl from Trincomalee St. Mary’s Girls’ School and demanded 30 million rupees as ransom from her mother, later killed the girl slitting her throat Friday for not paying the demanded ransom, sources in Trincomalee said. The girl’s body was found Friday morning along Sarathaa Veethi in Trincomalee town. Saratha Road and St. Mary’s Girl’s school are both located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) area in the city where there are many police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry points, the sources added.



The victim was identified as Jude Regi Varsha, 06, of Paalaiyoottu and a grade I student at St. Mary’s Girls’ School in Trincomalee town.

On Wednesday Varsha had been waiting in the school compound after school for her customary three-wheeler to take her home but persons who arrived in another three-wheeler around 11:45 a.m. had taken her with them saying her mother was ill.

It was only when the usual three-wheeler went to fetch her, the girl having been abducted came to light, the girl’s mother said.

Meanwhile, the abductors had also phoned Jude’s father who lives in Qatar, demanding the ransom.



The abductors had later bargained with the relatives of the girl and settled for one million rupees saying that she will be released after four hours from the time they receive the money.

Varsha was found dead Friday morning with her throat knifed along New moor Street Drainage in Trincomalee town.

Trincomalee police are investigating into the killing.



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