Magistrate orders investigation into cyanide death

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2001, 20:42 GMT]
The Vavuniya Magistrate on Monday instructed the Police to conduct investigations into the death of a 25 year-old woman to ascertain how she had got cyanide capsule after being brought to the Sri Lanka Army's Brigade Headquarters in Vavuniya. Jeyanthi Veerasingham entered Vavuniya on February 16 from the LTTE controlled Vanni region. She was summoned to army detachment at Sanasa transit camp for an inquiry, on the following day. Later, the army handed over her body to the Vavuniya hospital claiming that she had committed suicide by swallowing cyanide.

The Magistrate Mr.M.Ilancheliyan inspected the body of the woman at the Vavuniya hospital mortuary on Sunday.

He has now instructed the Police to conduct further investigation into the death of this woman to clear some doubts whether she had been manhandled or sexually assaulted whilst being interrogated by army personnel at Sanasa army transit camp and the Brigade Headquarters camp, legal sources said.

The Magistrate also instructed the Judicial Medical Officer of Vavuniya hospital to hold a post-mortem examination on the body of the deceased to find whether she was subjected to assault or sexual molestation whilst in the custody.

The Magistrate has instructed the Police to produce the SLA officer who arrested Jeyanthi at Sanasa army transit camp. The Magistrate further instructed the Police to produce the group of army personnel who had questioned her at the Sanasa transit camp and at the Brigade headquarters, the sources said.