Vavunathivu cop killing - suspects grilled

The two former LTTE cadres arrested in connection with the killing of two policemen in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa last week are still being held for questioning police sources said. The two suspects are being questioned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) which is leading the investigations into the deaths. According to CID sources, investigators have not ruled out the possible connection between former LTTE bigwigs and the killings. The police initially said the killings may have been a retaliatory attack after a dispute occurred between the police and a group at a Maaveerar Naal memorial held in the Thaandiyadi area in Batticaloa on November 27.

The two arrested were said to be involved in organising the event. On November 30, two Policemen on duty at the Vavunathivu checkpoint were found dead by officers who had arrived for the morning shift at the police post around 6 am. According to the police, the two policemen had been shot with a T56 weapon while deep lacerations were also found on the body of one policeman.

The two service revolvers of the duo were also missing. Accordingly, a 48-year-old suspect identified as Rasanayagam Sarvanandan, a resident of Vaddakkachchi, Kilinochchi was arrested by the police on December 1, while just three days after the Vavunathivu police arrested another suspect, 40-year-old Kathirithamby Irajakumaran alias Kannan, a resident of Karayakanthivu, Kannankudah.