Body of EPRLF member recovered from Mandoor Lake

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 18:25 GMT]
Body of Poopalapillai Alaguthurai, Porathivu Predheshya Sabha member from the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) who disappeared on 16 December was recovered from Mandoor lake close to the Batticaloa-Ampara border Saturday, sources in Batticaloa said.

EPRLF blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the abducting and killing Alaguthurai on the night of the 16th in Mandoor where he lived.

Relatives have been searching for his whereabouts the last several days without success. On receiving information of a body floating in Mandoor lake, Police officers of Vellaveli recovered the body and transported the corpse to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital where post mortem examination is being carried out.

Sources say that the body with multiple stab wounds to the head and hands was tied to the roots of a tree under water in Mandoor lake.

LTTE denied any involvement in the abduction and subsequent murder of Alaguthurai. LTTE further said that with the current climate of peace they will not engage in such activities and that nefarious elements intent on sabotaging peace efforts are involved in treacherous acts to apportion blame on LTTE.