Tamils honour Sinhala policeman killed in assassination attempt on Jaffna Judge

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 July 2017, 16:28 GMT]
A Sinhala police Sergeant Hemachandra from Chilaapam (Chilaw), who functioned as security officer to Jaffna High Court Judge M. Ilancheliyan for 17 years and sustained injuries in the assassination attempt on Judge Ilancheliyan on Saturday, succumbed to his injuries at Jaffna Hospital in the early hours on Sunday. Several activist groups in Jaffna have urged Eezham Tamils to pay homage to the Sinhala policeman on Monday, news sources in Jaffna said following emotional remarks from Judge Ilancheliyan on the service and sacrifice of Sgt Hemachandra.

The assassination attempt was an attack on the independence of the judiciary, Justice Ilancheliyan has said.

In the meantime, another police security person who was injured in the exchange of gunfire at Nalloor is still receiving treatment at the hospital.

The attacker had escaped in a scooty bike seized from the public. The motorbike was recovered at Ariyaalai, police said. The unknown attacker had seized the pistol of the security personnel and fired at them. The pistol was recovered near the attack site as the scooty crashed at a wall while the attacker was escaping. A 9mm magazine was also recovered.

In the meantime, SL police is floating theories that indirectly imply that Judge Ilancheliyan was not the target of the attacker and that the police escort of the Judge had got entangled into the incident while two gangs were engaged in a confrontation at Nalloor.

Sgt Hemanchandra has been posthumously promoted to the rank of Sub Inspector. SL Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasigne was quick to pay homage to the slain policeman, news sources in Jaffna said.



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