Man shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 1999, 16:05 GMT]
An unidentified man of about 25 years was shot dead by the Police at the outer circular road near the Chinthaamani Pillayar Kovil in Vavuniya town at around 11.40 am today.

Police said that three youths who passed through the Police check point opposite the Education Department on Kandy road had fired at Police officers who were on duty at the bunkers.

Police had chased them and then shot one of them dead near the Chinthaamani Pillayar Kovil while the others two had escaped, Police said.

The Police claimed that the dead man was suspected to be a member of the LTTE.

However other sources close to the incident said that the deceased had been running before the Police gave chase and that he did not have anything incriminating on him.

When people tried to go to the man after he had been shot and was bleeding they were prevented by the Police, the sources added.

The man was later taken to the Vavuniya hospital in a Red Cross ambulance.