Medical officers give evidence in Mylanthanai massacre

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 09:37 GMT]
"One year old Latha, a girl who was rushed to the Colombo general hospital in critical condition the day after the Mylanthanai massacre succumbed to cut and chop wounds caused by pointed weapons such as axe and knives on admission," said Dr.K.Niranjan, Assistant Judicial Medical Officer before the Colombo High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah Tuesday.

The girl was also one of the thirty-five Tamil civilians killed by the SLA soldiers in the massacre, prosecution told court. According autopsy reports submitted in courts by several medical officers, most of the victims died due to cut and chop injuries caused by pointed knives and weapons.

Eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army have been indicted by the Attorney General in the Mylanthanai massacre case with several charges of including murder of 35 Tamil civilians in August 1992.

At the beginning of the case the AG indicted twenty one SLA soldiers with the massacre. Two soldiers are now reported killed and one is said to have been disappeared, after they were allowed on bail. Since the commencement of the inquiry rest of the accused appeared in court have been ordered remand till the conclusion of the case.

All the accused pleaded not guilty and the case is being now tried before the Sinhala speaking Jury.

Of thirty Tamil civilian witnesses brought down to Colombo from Mylanthanai in the eastern province only six had given evidence. They were able to identify six of the accused SLA soldiers in connection with the massacre.

When the inquiry resumed Tuesday, medical officers who conducted post mortem examination on the killed civilians submitted medical reports. One medical officer Dr.S.Mohanrajah, Judicial Medical Office submitted autopsy reports on behalf of late Dr.D.Arulpiragasam who conducted post mortem examinations on thirty victims at Mylanthanai.

Dr.Sinnathurai Thedchanamoorthy, presently the District Medical Officer, Valaichchenai said in evidence on the day of incident he was working as a medical officer at the hospital. On receipt of information he went to Mylanthanai to hold a post mortem examination on a dead body after five days of the massacre. He found some bones of a human body, flesh being eaten by animals and later identified as of a fourteen-year-old Ravikumar who was killed in the massacre.

Dr.Ruwanpura, formerly District Medical Officer, Polonaruwa hospital and Dr, V.Ponrajah, District Medical Officer, Batticaloa also gave evidence.

Mr.K.P.S.Varatharaja who held the magisterial inquests in to the deaths of 35 victims of Mylanthanai massacre at the Batticaloa Magistrate in 1992 is to give evidence Wednesday in the Colombo High Court. Mr.Varatharajah is presently the High Court Judge, Jaffna district.

President Counsel Mr.Daya Perera with several juniors appeared for the accused. Attorney-at-Law Mr K.S.Ratnavelu with Mr.K.Shanmugalingam watched the interests of the victims.