Youth tortured to death - Judge

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 1999, 10:26 GMT]
In the hearing into the mysterious death of a youth from Gurunakar in the Jaffna peninsula, the extra Jaffna District judge, Mr. A. S. E. Ekanathan, identified torture as the cause of death.

The youth, Gnanasingam Anton Kulasingam, was arrested by troops of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on September 9 last year. His body was handed over to his relatives three days later.

The Judge came to his conclusion on the basis of post-mortem reports, which indicate that the youth had been subjected to excessive torture and that he had been bleeding profusely while undergoing shocks and pressure, said court sources.

The Judge said that the three SLA personnel, including a captain, who are currently under arrest and are being investigated are responsible.