Family man tortured, killed in Jaffna islet of Veala'nai

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2008, 20:55 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a 54-year-old man after torturing him, Thursday night at Ma'nkumpaan, Veala'nai, an islet off Jaffna when he went out of his house around 9:00 p.m., his son told the media in Jaffna Friday evening. His father's hands and legs had been broken and tied together and wounds inflicted with sharp weapons on them show that he had been severely tortured before being shot and killed, he said after identifying his father's body in Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary Friday.

The victim was identified as Appaiah Sritharan, a resident of Ward 5, Ma'nkumpaan, Vela'nai.

Oorkaavttu'rai magistrate Ms. Joy Mahadeva conducted the inquest into the death and directed Oorkaavattu'rai police to hand over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary for post mortem examination to be held.

The police handed over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary around 11:00 p.m Thursday.

The victim's son, on learning about a body handed over to Jaffna in the local media Friday morning, identified his father's body at the hospital mortuary.

His father had cried aloud in pain after going out of the house Thursday night and many shots fired were heard after that, the son told the media.

The victim's body was handed over to his family members.