TELO activist's brother shot dead

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 March 1999, 12:16 GMT]
The brother of an area organiser for the paramilitary group TELO was shot dead last night in Vavuniya, said the Police. Saravanamuththu Rasanayakam, 33, (Rajadurai), was a timber trader living in Pattakaadu. His body, eyes tied with a black piece of cloth, was found near the Pattakaadu nursery school, close to the place where a female PLOTE activist was shot dead a few days ago.

The leader of the TELO Mr. A.Adaikkalanathan MP issued a statement today accusing the PLOTE of killing the brother of one of its senior cadres last night.

He called on all democracy loving forces to condemn the murder.

Sources in Vavuniya said that the killing of Saravanamuththu Rasanayakam was a continuation of the bloody struggle between the PLOTE and the TELO for dominance in the northern border town.

Rasanatakam is the elder brother of 'Peter', the TELO's area leader for Pampaimadu in Vavuniya.

M.Sithampalam, acting Magistrate of Vavuniya, inspected the murder scene with the Police. The body is now lying in a Vavuniya mortuary.

In her evidence at the inquest into the death of her husband before acting additional magistrate for Vavuniya Mr.M. Sittampalam, Mrs. Rasanayakam said that two youth armed with handguns had come to their house around 8 p.m. last night.

They had told Rasanayakam that his brother had come from Colombo and wanted to see him. But Rasanayagam, realising that the intention of the two youth, had fallen at their feet and pleaded with them to spare him.

The two youth had, however, forcibly taken away Rasanayakam on their motorcycle.

Mrs.Rasanayakam told the magistrate that her husband's body was found this morning at Sirunaavatkulam in Pattakaadu near Vavuniya town.

Sri Lankan Police sources in Vavuniya said that the body of the woman who was abducted and killed on Friday night was also found nearby.

Last Thursday unidentified gunmen shot dead a senior female PLOTE activist, Velautham Bavanidevi, in Vavuniya.

The PLOTE has condemned the killing of Bavanidevi.

According to a statement issued by the PLOTE, she had earlier been warned by a TELO MP for criticising the recent clashes between the two paramilitary groups. groups.