Remand for two LTTE members in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 July 2003, 14:19 GMT]
Mr.Chandradasa Jayaweera Paiyas alias Kulatheeparaj and Vadivelu Chandrakumar alias Prasanth, both from Vaharai, who are members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were remanded Tuesday by the Batticaloa Magistrate on a charge under the Offensive Weapons Act of 1966 till July 22, legal sources said.

The Sri Lanka Army arrested the LTTE members Monday evening around six p.m. at Kayankerni, about 36 km north of Batticaloa town, when they were riding a motorbike, sources said.

The police told court when producing the suspects Tuesday before the Batticaloa Magistrate, Mr.A.Abdul Gafoor, that the SLA found a grenade in the pocket of the suspect Chandradasa Jayaweera.

The two suspects were remanded till July 22, legal sources said.

Under the Offensive Weapons Act, a magistrate has no power to grant bail to the suspects. Only the Court of Appeal could grant bail to suspects who are charged under the Offensive Weapons Act, legal sources said.