TID detains Sunday Times columnist, video photographer

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 14:09 GMT]
The Sunday Times columnist J.S. Tissanayagam and his freelance Video Photographer K. Wijesinghe were detained and questioned by the Terroist Investigation Department (TID) of the Police when they visited a family whom were taken into custody by the TID in the early hours of Friday at Kotahena, media sources in Colombo said.

The TID had visited Tissanayagam's friend B. Jasikaran's printing press at Jampettah street, Kotahena, where Tissanayagam was also running a multi media outfit called Outreach.

Later, the TID has visited Jasikaran's home and taken into custody his wife Vadivel Valarmathi woking as a mangement trainee at MTV Channel. Soon after their arrest, the TID issued a confirmation receipt of their arrest to their parents.

However, when Tissanayagam and his viedo photographer visited the TID to see their friends, they were detained and questioned. They were detained around 11.30 a.m. Friday and are still being held there, the sources added.

Their family were not informed of the arrests.

Mr.Tissanayagam was a full time journalist for the Mid Week Mirror and the Daily Mirror before he engaged with the NorthEastern Herald weekly which became a monthly magazine later.

Chronology: