Court orders forensic analysis on munitions allegedly found in HRC vehicle

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 03:03 GMT]
Mallaakam magistrate, Ms. Sarojini Ilankovan, directed Tuesday Maanippaay police to submit the munitions claimed to have been recovered from the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) vehicle parked in a motor repair garage in Maanippaay in Valikaamam, for chemical analysis in Colombo, and submit the findings to the Court, legal sources in Jaffna said.

Maanippaay police produced Tuesday at the court 20 rifle rounds and some empty hand grenade shells after diffusing the grenades for safety reasons.

The magistrate further directed the police to submit to the Attorney General (AG) in Colombo a full report of the inquires held until now, and to act according to instructions given by the AG.

The magistrate rejected appeal for bail as the case is filed under Prevention of Arms Act.

The detained HRC vehicle driver is Nagarathinam Susitharan, 22, a married man and a resident of Nalloor in Jaffna.

Susitharan and three mechanics in the repair garage had been arrested and detained in Jaffna Prison.

Maanippaay police arrested the driver of the vehicle belonging to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office 28 June, claiming that weapons were found hidden in the vehicle that was parked in a motor repair garage in Maanippaay. Three employees of the garage were also arrested by Maanippaay police.

HRC sources in Jaffna and Susitharan had said that there had been no weapons hidden in the vehicle when it was handed over to the garage for repairs.