2ND LEAD

TNA activist killed in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2013, 19:25 GMT]
A 35-year-old Tamil National Alliance (TNA) activist, Mr Rasiah Kavithan, also known as Suresh, was beaten to death by a criminal squad associated with the ruling UPFA of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Mullaiththeevu on Monday around 6:00 p.m., initial reports from Vanni said. The killing has taken place while the sons of the SL President, Namal Rajapaksa MP and Yoshitha Rajapaksa (SL Navy), have been spearheading the election campaign in Mullaiththeevu district for the ruling UPFA. A UPFA supporter and an operative of the SL military intelligence, Mr Raja Karuna, is contesting the elections in Ma'nal-aa'ru. The election campaign undertaken by Rasiah Kavithan on behalf of the TNA was challenging the UPFA in Mullaiththeevu.

Two persons of a criminal squad associated with Raja Karuna have been detained by the SL police, but political influence is being exerted on the SL police to free the culprits from the custody, the reports further said.

The two persons, alleged of killing Mr Kavithan, have been running illegal sand scooping and timber cutting in Mullaiththeevu with the backing of SL military.

Tension prevails in Mullaiththeevu following the killing.

The SL police has handed over the dead body to the mortuary of the Puthuk-kudiyiruppu hospital.

In the meantime, the occupying SL military has stepped up harassments on young activists engaged in election campaign for TNA throughout the Northern province.

Around 50 TNA supporters were detained by the SL police in Vavuniyaa on Monday with the intention of disrupting the election campaign of the TNA, news sources in Vavuniyaa said.

Already, four persons were detained by the SL police in Thenmaraadchi in Jaffna last week on false allegations. They were produced in the courts on Monday and released on bail.