Investigate gangrape/murder of young mother: President

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 1999, 12:57 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has told the Defence Secretary to conduct an investigation into rape and murder of a young mother, allegedly by the security forces, said sources in Colombo.

The President is reported to have ordered him to submit the investigation report to her, the sources added.

The young mother, Sarathambal Saravanbavananthakurukal, was gang-raped and murdered on Tuesday night. Her body was found yesterday morning.

Local residents blame Sri Lanka Navy personnel for the crime. No one has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile the Jaffna Magistrate today ordered the Police to send the body of the young Brahmin woman to Colombo for examination and report of the Judicial Medical Officer.

At the conclusion of the inquest, Mr.R.T.Viknarajah,Magistrate said that there were signs to show that the woman, 29 year-old Saravabavananthakurukkal Sarathambal had been murdered after being raped.

The Magistrate further instructed the Police to make arrangements for a relative of the woman to accompany her body to Colombo.

At the inquest, Chandrasekara Iyer Rajasekara Sarma, 19, gave evidence.

He said the deceased was his elder sister. On the day of incident he was in home listening to a radio program. Suddenly four persons with shoes forcibly opened the doors of the house and entered. They then squeezed his neck not to shout and dragged him away.Thereafter they dragged his sister away. They spoke in Tamil with Sinhala accent.

Witness said he did not know what happened to his sister thereafter. He then went to the nearby navy camp and complained to the public relation officer there. But the P.R.O. did not take any action.

Dr. Sri Rajeswaran said in his evidence that there were several injuries on the body of the woman.

Meanwhile, tension prevails in Pungudutivu village over this incident. Residents there said that earlier two young women were raped but not murdered. This time a woman had murdered after being raped. Residents have appealed to the authorities to allow them to live elsewhere.

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