2ND LEAD

Youth abducted in Jaffna Thursday is a teacher

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 2010, 16:30 GMT]
The youth who was abducted by ‘white van’ squad Thursday at Urumpiraay, Jaffna, has been identified as 30-year-old teacher, Shanmuganathan Vignesvaran of Vaiththeesvaraa Road of Urumpiraay West. His wife on Friday identified his slippers and bicycle at the Chunnaakam police station. The abduction took place in the same locality where Deputy Director of Education Mr. M. Sivalingam was assassinated Sunday. The hand of SL military intelligence is widely suspected in the series of terror campaign in Jaffna.

Mr. Vignesvaran was abducted while he was going to teach at a private tutorial college in I'nuvil, Thursday.

As he had not returned that day, and after seeing news reports that someone had been abducted that day in the locality, his wife went to Chunnakam police station Friday, where she was shown with the slippers and bicycle for identification.

Mr. Vignesvaran got married just a year ago.

He is a graduate of the University of Jaffna and is a former member of the Students Council of the University.

After graduation, waiting for permanent appointment, he has been teaching at a private tutorial college.

On Thursday, while the SL colonial commander of Jaffna Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe denied possibilities of abduction, the Chunnakam police was saying that they picked up the slippers and bicycle left by someone who had been ‘drunk’.

The public has seen the abduction by white van squad.

SL commander Hathurusinghe accepted the involvement of SL gun in the killing of Changkaanai chief priest early this month. On Thursday, responding to media, Hathurusinghe ruled out abductions, citing the absence of LTTE threat.

The public perceives an arrogance in the occupying SL military that wants its involvement in the series of incidents to be known, in order to challenge the civil society in Jaffna and to make it feel helpless.

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