40 Tamils still in custody after Ja-ela claymore explosion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 10:07 GMT]
Forty Tamils arrested following the January claymore explosion in Ja-ela that killed Mr.D.M.Dassanayake, Nation Building Minister in the cabinet of President Mahinda Rajapakse, are still being detained by the police and are being interrogated by the Terrorist Intelligence Division, according to Peliyagoda police.

Meanwhile, relatives of the three of those in detention have made a plea through Upcountry Peoples' Front parliamentarian Mr.P.Radhakrishnan to the police to release them.

The plea has been made on behalf of Jacob Charles Edwin, 46, his brother Jacob Walter Godwin, 44, and Yogarajah.

The brothers had been running a boutique, and Yogarajah was worker in their shop, sources said. All the three were injured in the claymore explosion.

After treatment the three are being detained by the TID of the Police, relatives said in their plea, sources said.

Mr.Radhakrishnan is also a Deputy Minister in the Rajapakse Government.