PTA detainee released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 17:00 GMT]
Podisingam Shanmugam who was detained under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) accused of shooting to death sub-inpector of Police, S.Yogendran, on 5 November 2001, was freed by Batticaloa District Magistrate, M.H.M.Ajmeer due to lack of evidence, legal sources said.

Mr.Shanmugam was an employee at the Kaluvanchikkudi district Department of Education during the 2001 incident which occured at the Bar Road in Batticaloa.

Although Shanmugam was detained under the PTA, the Attorney General advised the prosecution to try him under the normal criminal law, according to legal sources.

Trial was taken up based on the depositions given by an individual who was received gun shot wounds during the incident, shop-keeper of a convenient store nearby and several relatives of the deceased.

When the case was taken up in Courts Monday, the Judge ruled that the evidence from witnesses was not conclusive enough to find Mr.Shanmugam guilty and ordered him released.