Ex-LTTE woman returned from France escapes assassination attempt in Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 March 2015, 08:03 GMT]
A group of assailants believed to belong to a surveillance squad of the Sri Lankan military attempted on Wednesday night to assassinate 41-year-old Baheerathy Murukesu, who was arrested earlier this month at Colombo airport and later released on bail with a restriction to leave the island. The two-member squad, which was waiting outside her house at Ka'ndaava'lai in Mullaiththeevu, followed Ms Baheerathy and hit her with their motorbike. Baheerathy was thrown away, but survived the attempt on her life. She was arrested by the Sri Lankan ‘Terrorist Investigation Department’ earlier this month when she was visiting her family on vacation from France. Baheerathy headed a naval wing of the LTTE's Sea Tigers between 1997 and 2000 and had left the island in 2005, the SL police has stated earlier.

The incident took place Wednesday night when Baheerathy was on her way to buy bread at a nearby shop.

The villagers who rushed to the site of the attack admitted Baheerathy to the hospital.

The family of Ms Baheerathy has earlier complained that the SL military was continuously present outside their house and was harassing them after they had secured Baheerathy's release.

According to a Sri Lankan court order, Ms Baheerathy is under restriction to leave the island until the ‘legal’ proceedings are over.

She was visiting her parents with her 8 year old girl last month.

The SL TID has also blamed that her husband, living in Paris, was linked to the LTTE.