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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Mystery killing of journalist Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe The latest abduction and killing reported from Colombo is that of a veteran journalist and a senior of the TamilNet, Sivaram Dharmaratnam, outside a liquor restaurant almost opposite the Bambalapitiya Police Station around 10.30 pm last Thursday. His body was found lying in a jungle shrub with his face tied up with a piece of cloth on the following day at Kimbula-Ela junction, about 500 meters away from the high security zone where the Parliamentary Complex is located at Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. There were gun shot injuries on his head and on his hand. Sources said that Dharmaratnam was abducted by an armed gang of four persons while he was outside the restaurant talking to a journalist friend. His captors forced him into a vehicle while he was at the Bambalapitiya bus halt and had taken him to an unknown destination where he was shot in his head with a 9.mm. pistol. There were also other visible injuries on his head," police said. Dharmaratam, a native of Batticaloa had been a PLOTE member earlier and had operated from India when PLOTE bases were located there. Later he resigned from the PLOTE and became a journalist. Under the instructions of Senior DIG Colombo Sirisena Herath, Director Colombo Crime Division, SSP Sarath Lugoda has commenced investigations to the abduction and killing of Dharmaratnam. SSP Lugoda said that three special police teams have been deployed to track down the killers and to find the get away vehicle. "We have questioned more than 20 persons and have recorded their statement in this regard. But so far we haven't had any clue with regard to the killing," he said. He further said they were probing the motive of the killers as to why the body of Dharmaratnam was dumped at the Japan Friendship road closer to the Parliamentary Complex at Sri Jayawardenapura in a high security zone. According to sources Sivaram Dharmaratnam has had drinks with three other persons including a journalist at a restaurant in Bambalapitiya around 10.30.p.m on Wednesday. The restaurant is located close to the Bambalapitiya police station. After drinks all of them had come out of the restaurant and two of his friends had intimated to him that they were going to Kollupitiya. Meanwhile Sivaram and the journalist friend had come near a bus halt to board a bus to Ratmalana. Whilst at the bus halt four persons had dragged Sivaram into a Pajero vehicle which was parked closer to the bus halt and taken off. While this happened, his other two friends who boarded a three wheeler taxi to go to Kollupitiya were told by the three wheeler driver that their friend was forcibly dragged into a vehicle. But the friends had not taken any notice as they were intoxicated. However after proceeding some distance to Kollupitiya the three wheeler driver had reminded them again of the abduction. At that stage they decided to return to Bambalapitiya. When they returned to Bambalapitiya there was no trace of him. Thereafter they decided to inform their other media friends about the abduction. Mrs Ranjani Sivaram the wife of Sivaram Dharmaratnam had lodged a complaint at the Bambalapitiya police station around 1.15. am after she was informed by someone that her husband was abducted. She had told police that Sivaram had informed her that he would return late as he was going for a movie. Meanwhile, IGP Chandra Fernando instructed the Commandant of the Special
Task Force (STF) DIG, Nimal Leuke to assist tracing the killers of
journalist Sivaram. DIG Nimal Leuke speaking to the Sunday Observer said
that special intelligence units of the STF have been alerted to trace the
vehicle and apprehend the killers. He said road blocks were set up in the
city and elsewhere after the abduction was reported to STF headquarters. |
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