Batticaloa Municipal Council member reported missing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 16:24 GMT]
Pragasam Sagayamany, a member of Batticaloa Municipal Council, who had met and spoken to Batticaloa Mayor Ms. Sivakeetha Pirapakaran and a fellow member Monday evening had gone missing, according to his wife's complaint to Batticaloa police. Meanwhile, the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Municipal Council members K. Arumailingam and S. Sasikumar have allegedly attacked T. Yogarasa, a technical officer of Batticaloa Municipal Council on 7 August. The employees of the Municipal Council have been frequently attacked and insulted by the EPDP group, sources in Batticaloa said.

Pragasam Sagayamany, 47, is a resident of Kaa'li Koayil Veethi, Punnaichchoalai.

It is alleged that the police are reluctant to take action on the EPDP group as their party is a constituent of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, the sources added.

However, due to the protest demonstration and abstention from duty by the Municipal Council employees police had arrested Arumailingam and Sasikumar.

Arumailingam and Sasikumar had dragged Yogarasa into Maamaangkeasvarar temple building and severely assaulted him. He had attacked a watcher of the Municipal Council too.

A climate of antagonism prevails between the employees of Batticaloa Municipal Council and its elected members.