Pillayan’s arrest

by Ranil Wijayapala

Ten years ago the country witnessed a regime dominated by unidentified gunmen, white-van abductors and suicide bombers. The chaotic situation was used as a means to abduct people and carry- out broad day-light killing in the conflict affected North and the East and also in the South by gunmen.

The law makers were the most vulnerable segment who were targeted by suicide bombers and assassins. Many politicians fell victim to this brutal kill culture carried out in the guise of terrorism. But many investigations into their killngs were brushed under the carpet using terrorism as an excuse. That situation permitted people to point a finger at each other while the real perpetrators got away under the cover of political influence.

Under the carpet

The assassination of Joseph Pararajasingham, the Tamil National Alliance MP for the Batticaloa District, while attending Christmas midnight mass at St Mary’s Church, Batticaloa was also swept under the carpet without the arrest of suspects for nearly a decade.

The TNA Parliamentarian was brutally gunned down at 1.10 a.m. on Chirstmas Day in 2005 amidst hundreds of Christians attending mass. Gun shots caused severe injuries to Mrs. Sugunam Pararjasingham, wife of late Pararajasingham and seven others including Sister Sajadah, Mrs. Mary Ferif, Mrs. Jeyaraj, Mrs. Sisiliya, Mrs. Mnmohan, Ms. Lakshman Muthulingam and Mr. P David. Pararajasingham attended mass with his wife after receiving a call around 11 pm on that fateful day.

Initially the blame was directed at the Security Forces as the St Mary’s Church was located between two military check points within a high security zone in Batticaloa. However, it was well known among the public that the killings were directly linked to the Tamil Makkal Viduthali Puligal (TMVP), the party led by defected LTTE Eastern Leader Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman.

It was Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the then Deputy leader of the TMVP who commanded the TMVP Batticaloa office with his supporters. Though Pararajasingham’s family had given the names of three TMVP members as suspects to the Police conducting the investigation no action was taken against them.

Even though the TMVP was accused of killing Joseph Pararajasingham, it won the Provincial Council election held for the first time for the Eastern Provincial Council in 2008 and the Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, a child soldier cum ex-LTTE militant-turned politician became the Chief Minister of the Provincial Council by popular vote.

He contested the Eastern Provincial Council Election under the UPFA banner after becoming the Leader of the TMVP in April, 2007 following an internal rift within the party replacing its leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan who subsequently left for UK and was jailed there for violating the immigration law. He was the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council until 2012.

The CID digging into the unresolved files of former Tamil politicians killed in the past has also opened the file of slain MPs including Joseph Pararajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj initially had made several arrests leading to these murders.

With regard to Joseph Pararajasingham killing, the CID first arrested, Edwin Silva Krishna Kandaraja alias Pradeep Master, a resident of Third Cross Street, Hospital Road, Batticaloa and Rengasami Kanayagama alias Caajan Mama.

They were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya and detained for 90 days on detention orders issued by the Defence Secretary under Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The two were taken into custody by a group of police officers led by Chief Inspector Ravindra Wimalasiri of the CID.

They were the first two people arrested and it was ten years after the MURDERS of Joseph Pararajasingham the CID made these arrests.

The CID told the Court that during investigations it was revealed that two of the suspects involved in this crime are currently abroad. The CID will obtain the assistance of Interpol to take these two into custody.

The CID also told the Court that six spent mm nine cartridges were found at the scene of the crime and added that three firearms had been used.

The CID is carrying out further investigations to take into custody these firearms and a van which was used in the attack.

Based on their information the CID arrested Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan last Sunday when he was summoned to the CID to record a statement over the assassination of Joseph Pararajasingham.

The CID officials investigating Joseph Pararajasingham case were vigilant over the movements of Pillayan which caused him to report at the CID on October 11, afternoon where he was arrested for further questioning.

Shooting

However, filing a report in Court, the CID sought a period of 90 days to detain Pillayan questioning in connection with the shooting and murder of Joseph Pararajasingham.

According to Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara, the CID has sought a detention order from the Defence Secretary to detain him and question him under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

“The CID is taking steps to obtain the detention order from the Defence Secrtary soon”, the spokesman added.

People have began to believe justice would be done for many of the politicians killings during the LTTE terror. Pilleyan told the media that he won’t be surprised that the EPDP leader Douglas Devananda too would be arrested by the Police over the killings.

Meanwhile, Devananda said many people pointed the finger at the EPDP over the killing of Tamil politicians and they are now happy that proper investigations are being conducted into these murders.

“What we want to know is the truth whoever is responsible for these killings. Once the truth is revealed no one can point an accusing finger at others”, he said.

“We tried our best to record our protest when false allegations were made against us at the Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission by making use of a statement which we have never made to the Commission. The time has come to investigate all those allegations and clear our name”, he added.