Open warrant on EPDP suspect in Naranthanai murder case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 14:19 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate, Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, Tuesday issued an open warrant on Mr. Namasivayam Karunakaramoorthy, a former Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) member in the Delft Pradeshiya Sabah who is a suspect in the Kayts general election 2001 murder and assault case, legal sources said.

In this case, four suspects, Sebastian Ramesh alias Napoleon, EPDP Jaffna district parliamentarian Nadarajah Mathanarajah, Ranjan Thiyagarajah Jeevan and Namasivayam Karunakaramoorthy were arrested and released on bail in connection with the murder of two supporters of the Tamil National Alliance and causing grievous hurt to TNA Jaffna district parliamentarians Mr.M.K. Sivajilingam and Mr. Mavai Senathirajah.

When the case was taken for further inquiry on Tuesday, Mr. Karunakaramoorthy was not present but the three other suspects were present in court. The Magistrate rejected the medical certificate submitted on behalf of the suspect Karunakaramoorthy, as it was not legitimate and issued an open warrant against him. The Magistrate further directed the Kayts Police to arrest the suspect and produce him in court, legal sources said.

Further inquiry was put off for August 20.

The incident took place during the 2001 general election campaign when a group of EPDP supporters waylaid the TNA candidates and their supporters at Naranthanai village and severely assaulted them, killing two TNA supporters and severely injuring Messrs Sivajilingam and Mavai Senathirajah, when they went for electioneering, police said.