Kumar Ponnambalam shot dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 January 2000, 06:48 GMT]
Mr.Kumar Ponnambalam, president of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Wellawatte, a Tamil suburb of the capital Colombo around 11.15 a.m. police sources said.

The attack took place at Ramakrishna road, near a by lane known as 'Muhamthiram lane'.

Sources said Ponnambalam was driving from his residence this morning when unidentified gunman stopped his vehicle and shot him while he was seated in his car. Mr. Ponnambalam died on the spot.

Born on 12 August 1938, Ponnambalam entered the Sri Lankan politics in the early 60's. In 1966 he became the president of the Tamil Congress' Youth Wing.

A lawyer by profession (he became a barrister in 1974), he contested the general elections in 1977 and the presidential elections in 1982.

His father, Mr.G.G. Ponnambalam, was also leading lawyer, and held a ministerial post twice.

Mr. Ponnambalam, father of two, is married to Yogalauxmy, a cardiac surgeon.