Father of five reported missing in Koappaay

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 January 2011, 03:31 GMT]
Mahalingam Amirtharajah, a father of five, has been reported missing since January 1, according to a complaint lodged by his sister with the Jaffna regional secretariat of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Koappaay Police. Amalaraj left for home after meeting his friends in a public place around 10:00 p.m. on January 1st, but failed to reach home. Amirtharajah's relatives fear that he was abducted while he was returning, according to the complaint.

Amirtharajah had been residing with his sister’s house at Yoakapuram with his five children on his return from Vavuniyaa-Menik Farm detention centre. He lost his wife in the last leg of war in Vanni region.

Yoakapuram village is located behind the Koappaay Heroes Home.

Sri Lanka Army and intelligence units had recently killed several persons in the area, sources said.

Civil society sources said Koappaay Police has been giving contradictory statements regarding abductions and killings.

Koappaay Police said it did not receive any complaint regarding the abduction of a teacher from Urumpiraayi. But later on a query the Koappaay Police said that they recovered the bicycle and slippers of the victim from a complaint by telephone.

Police have been treating the escalating abductions and killings in a low key manner due to the adverse publicity by the media, civil sources added.

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