Judge orders SLN suspect to be produced in Tharsini murder case

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 February 2006, 11:56 GMT]
Acting Judge of Jaffna District Court, Ms Srinithi Nanthisekaran, Monday, directed the Kayts Police to produce the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldier whose Navy cap with legible identification number was found near the well where the body of Ilayathamby Tharsini (20) was found on 18 December in Punguduthivu, legal sources in Jaffna said.

Human rights attorney Mr Remedius who represented the parents of Tharsini argued before the Court that there is strong suspicion that the said soldier is complicit in the rape and murder of Tharsini and that the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers who were assigned to the case have failed to conduct investigations, legal sources said.

Judge Nanthisekaran directed the Kayts Police to inform the Colombo CID office to expedite investigations into the case.

The Judge set 21 Februrary for the next hearing of the case, legal sources said.

Tharsini was murdered sometime on 18 December, and a medical report later confirmed that she was raped before being strangled to death.

Punguduthivu is an islet located 24 km southwest of Jaffna, next to Kayts. The Kurikattuvan jetty located in Punguduthivu connects Nedunthivu, Nainathivu and Analaithivu.

Rights organizations have repeated faulted the Sri Lanka Government for failing to prosecute Security Forces for many serious crimes and have pointed out that the culture of impunity enjoyed by the armed forces has led to the lack of confidence in Sri Lanka judicial system and perpetuation of crimes.

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