2ND LEAD

SLA-tortured teacher dies in Jaffna hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2011, 11:25 GMT]
28-year-old Sampanthan Sakthitharan a male teacher at Chaavakachcheari Hindu College, who was severely tortured by the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna at Thirunelveali on 15 March and dumped on the side of the road three hours later fought for his life at Jafna Teaching Hospital for 10 days with serious injuries in his head and finally succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

Even any flimsy impulsive and verbal resistance shown to the arrogance of the occupiers will be returned with torture and death, is what the genocidal SL army is repeatedly demonstrating in the country of Eezham Tamils, residents in Jaffna said.

Mr. Sakthitharan, a native of Kuppizhaan village in Valikaamam North was on his way back home from Jaffna city on 15 March in the evening when Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning a check-post at Thirunelveali stopped him and began harassing him. Mr. Sathitharan protested about the way he was being treated by the SLA soldiers and a quarrel ensued, residents in Thirunelveali said. When people in the neighbourhood flocked to the site, SLA intelligence squad dispersed the crowd saying there was nothing to worry. The teacher was then taken by the soldiers.

Later, residents found the teacher dumped near the road with head injuries and beaten injuries throughout the body.

Medical sources said Mr. Sakthitharan had been severely hit by batons in his head in addition to severe torture throughout the whole body.

The occupying Sri Lanka Army has been harassing people of Jaffna, especially after 6:00 p.m. in the evenings following a terror campaign launched by Colombo to step up the militarisation of the Tamil country.

Sometimes back, a mentally retarded person entered into argument at a checkpost in Thenmaraadchi was also met with similar fate as that of the one faced by the teacher who died on Saturday.