2nd Lead (adds details)

Journalist Sivaram murdered

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 April 2005, 02:37 GMT]
The body of abducted journalist Mr Dharmeratnam Sivaram was found with severe head injuries in Himbulala, a Sinhala suburb between Jayawardhenapura hospital and the Parliament building in Colombo Friday morning. The location is about 500 meters behind the parliamentary complex and lies inside a high security zone. Mr Sivaram, a senior editorial board member of TamilNet, was abducted Thursday evening around 10.30 PM by unidentified persons in front of the Bambalapitya Police Station in Colombo.

Mr. Sivaram's body is being taken to hospital by the police

Family members visited the scene and have identified the body, according to sources.

Inspector of Police from the Thalangama Police division, Asoka Gunasekere, took the body to the hospital for postmortem examination.

Reporters who saw the body said that the head injuries were likely to have been caused by either gunshots from close range or from blows to the head with a blunt instrument.

The exact cause of death will be known only after the medical examinations, police sources said.

He leaves behind his wife Herly Yogaranjini (43) and three children: Vaishnavy (16), Vaitheky (13), and Seralathan (10).

Mr. Sivaram's body was recovered in the high security zone behind the Sri Lankan parliament.

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