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As a latest development in the case of the
killings of five Tamil youths in Vavuniya, the Officer Commanding of the
Veppankulam Army Camp appearing in Court on November 5 stated that no such
relatives or parents met him to complain about the missing youths and denied
claims of arresting them. He reiterated that the Camp did not possess a white
colored van.
The five Tamil youths were found dead with
gunshot injuries, on the roadside in Vavuniya town on Friday November 3.
Family members of the murdered youths complained to the Magistrate that
several persons had seen the youths being taken into custody by army personnel
of the Veppankulam Army Camp on Friday morning and that they themselves had
gone to the camp and spoken to the officers to release them.
In view of the statements given by several
relatives and family members of the murdered youth the Magistrate stated that
he was not satisfied with evidence given by the Officer Commanding of the
Veppankulam Army Camp and directed the police to record statements from army
personnel of the Camp.
Moreover he directed the Commanding Officer
Brigadier 211 to inspect weapons issued to the Army stationed at the said
camp, and also to inspect the log sheet records regarding the vehicle
movements of the camp. In addition, the Magistrate directed that the officer
commanding and other personnel in the Veppankulam Camp be subjected to inquiry
by Military Police and Special Investgations Unit of the Sri Lanka Army.
The dead were identified as Thirunavukkarusu
Kapildev (25), Vigneswaran Keethigan (17), James Washington Noah (25), and
Vijayakumar Vijayadas (19), the fifth body not yet been identified. On
information received of the incident the Magistrate and Additional District
Judge of Vavuniya M. Ilanchelian visited Thavasikkulam on November 4, 2007
where the bodies were found.
Family members of the murdered youth further
stated that on receiving the information regarding their arrests on November
3, afternoon they had gone to the Veppankulam Army Camp to inquire about the
arrest of their children but the Army Camp authorities denied arresting any
such persons. As they were definite about the information the relations
remained close to the camp and kept vigil the whole day. At about 10pm they
saw a white color van leaving the camp and after 20 minutes they heard the
sound of gunshots in the direction of Thavasikkulam 1 kilometre away from the
camp and in the morning the bullet ridden bodies of the five youths were found
at Thavasikulam.
On visiting the scene and acting on the said
information the Magistrate directed the Officer Commanding of the Veppankulam
Army Camp to report to Vavuniya Police Station to give a statement and to be
present at the Magistrate’s Court of Vavuniya on Monday. The Magistrate also
directed 21-1 Bridged Commender Col. Dhammika Jayasinghe the overall
commanding officer of Vavuniya town including the Veppankulam Camp and Senior
Superintendent of Police of Vavunia Sisira Mendis to investigate army
personnel of the Veppankulam Camp and arrest the suspects as eye witness
accounts of the incident point to the involvement of the Army. In a sternly
worded order the Magistrate states that the law does not permit extra judicial
killings and that investigations must be conducted expeditiously and the
suspects be arrested and produced in Court. The Magistrate also ordered that
van used in the incident be taken into custody. Although the number of the van
allegedly used in the killings was provided by the relatives, it is widely
known in Sri Lanka that vehicles with false number plates are used, while
conducting extra judicial arrests and killing operations. Vavuniya is
notorious for abductions for ransom of wealthy businessmen and prominent
members of the public.
Sources claim that the Attorney General’s
Department has failed in recent times to prosecute security forces taken into
custody. In the murder of five students of the College of Agriculture in
Vavuniya, last year, the Attorney General without considering the pros and
cons of the matter had consented the case to be transferred to Anuradhapura
Courts from Vavuniya Courts, much to the discomfiture and prejudice of the
witnesses and aggrieved party who are from Vavuniya. People express
reservation that the instant case too might be swept under carpet due to the
willful acts of cover up by authorities.
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