2nd Lead (Adds background details)

Batticaloa journalist shot dead

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2004, 08:31 GMT]
Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan, a leading Tamil journalist in Sri Lanka, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen Monday morning around eight a.m. when he was going to work in a motorbike. The assailants came in a motorbike in front and fired at him, Batticaloa Police said.

Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan (Library photo)

The body of Mr. Nadesan was handed over to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital and the autopsy was held, medical sources said.

The Batticaloa Police launched an immediate investigation into the killing, sources said

Mr.Nadesan has been reporting to Tamil daily, Virakesari, IBC Tamil service and to some electronic media, media sources said.

Mr. Nadesan was very critical of the Sri Lanka Army and paramilitary groups in his widely read political column in the Sunday edition of the Virakesari.

Mr.Nadesan was born in Nelliady, a town 25km northeast of Jaffna town, and won the NorthEast Sahithya Academy award for his book "History of Ethnic Strife," written in Tamil. He also won the best Tamil journalist award in 2000.

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