SLA soldier placed grenade by husband's body, wife tells judge

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 June 2006, 03:02 GMT]
"On the day my husband was killed and his body lay on the ground, I saw SLA soldier hide a hand grenade inside his clothing,” said Sivathesam, 42, in her evidence at the murder inquiry of her husband Kaththamutthu Rasanayagam, 43, shot and killed by SLA soldiers at Santhivelli Main Road, legal sources said. The hearing was held before Judge M.H.M Achmir, Friday morning at the Batticaloa district court.

Ms Sivathesam said she was married to the victim and that they lived with their three children in Santhivelli, Vattaiadi Road.

Sivathesam told the Judge that on Saturday at about 9:a.m.her husband left the house by bicycle to carryout some personal errands. At about 11:00 a.m she heard gun shots and neighbors told her that her husband had been shot. While she was running towards the crime scene 100 meters away she saw a soldier hide a grenade inside the clothing of her husband, Sivathesam said.

M. Anuratne, a soldier from the Santhivelli SLA camp, giving evidence told court that on Saturday 17 June at 6:00 a.m. he and two other soldiers were on road patrol and at 10:a.m. they received a message on the “walkie-talkie” that a SL army convoy traveling from Batticaloa was being targeted for a grenade attack. Around that time they saw the deceased riding towards them in a bicycle and directed him to stop. The deceased then attempted to hurl a hand grenade and they shot him, Mr Anuratne told the judge.

Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal Investigations Division of Eravur police C.M.Chandrabala and two other soldiers also gave evidence.

Eravur police sergeant S.M. Rahim recorded the statements of the witnesses.

Santhivelli is located 22 kilometers north of Batticaloa.