Paramilitaries blamed for UNP candidates murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 00:58 GMT]
Members of a Tamil paramilitary group working alongside the Sri Lanka Army had shot and fatally wounded Mr.Thambiraja Jeyakumar, a United National Party candidate, during last December's parliamentary elections, an inquiry learnt Thursday. The Batticaloa Magistrate ordered that the firearms and ammunition recovered from those suspected of involvement in the murder should be sent to the Government Analyst.

Mr. Jeyakumar, son of a former UNP parliamentarian, the late Mr.S.Thambiraja, was shot dead by unidentified persons when he was travelling in a vehicle to attend an election meeting. In the aftermath, the security forces blamed the Tamil Tigers for the killing.

But with the arrest in April this year of three people, including Murugesu Ilango from Eruvil in Porativu area, it emerged that the assassins were members of a paramilitary group, police sources said.

The three suspects were arrested, according to the police, whilst in possession of a T-56 assault rifle, 13 rounds of T-56 ammunition and some more rounds of a different type.

The Batticaloa Magistrate further remanded for the suspects and put off the case till May 23 pending the Government Analyst's report.