Jaffna rises against rape, 9 suspects arrested
Jaffna residents protested opposite the Jaffna Courts complex yesterday (20) demanding the death sentence for all those responsible for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Sivaloganaadan Vithiya, a student of the Jaffna Kayts Punkuduthivu Maha Vidyalaya.
The angry demonstration was unleashed on the streets leading to the Court before the suspects were driven into the Court premises.
One of the suspects was arrested whilst in hiding in Wellawatte, Colombo.
Police Anti-Riot Squad personnel had to use tear gas to disperse the protesters who attempted to clash with Police who had cordoned off the area surrounding the Courts complex, by attempting forcible entry into the Courts Complex.
Two vehicles parked inside the Courts complex were damaged in an attack with stones on the Police.
Police Special Task Force personnel were deployed in the area as a security measure when two Police officers sustained injuries in the confrontation.
A large numbers of residents supported the protest demonstration.
On Tuesday (19) the business community of Jaffna closed shops and offices as a sign of protest against the rape and murder of the schoolgirl calling angrily for the heads of the killer-rapists.
School teachers too participated in the protest.
The suspects produced in Court on 19 May were all residents of Punkuduthivu including 31-year-old Thillenaadan Chandrakaanthan, 30-year-old Mahalingam Sushidaran, 23-year-old Shivadevan Kushanthan, 26-year-old P. Kugadaasan and 26-year-old Jeyakaran Gopithan.
A group led by Tamil National Alliance MP Mavai Senathirajah had urged the Police to give the suspects the maximum possible punishment.
Prior to this, three brothers had been arrested on suspicion and produced at the Kayts Court after which the trio had been remanded till 6 June.
Meanwhile, a massive crowd attended on 15 May the funeral of the 18-year-old rape-murder victim at the Punkuduthivu Cemetery.
A Special Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team has been appointed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the Punkuduthivu gang rape-murder case.
Police sources said the special team was sent to Jaffna yesterday to open its probe into the crime.
Police yesterday arrested 127 protestors who attacked the Jaffna Courts Complex when the Punkuduthivu gang rape suspects were produced before the Magistrate.
The Jaffna courts complex came under attack yesterday when eight suspects of the Punkuduthivu gang rape were produced in courts, barring the ninth suspect who was arrested in Wellawatte on Tuesday (19) night who was not produced in Court due to security reasons, Police said.
Tension spread throughout Jaffna yesterday when protestors created havoc within the Courts Complex. Protestors pelted stones at the Courts Complex demanding that the Police hand over the suspects to the public, by surrounding the entire Jaffna Courts area.
Protestors even broke through barricades and burnt tires on the roads to vent their anger at the suspects.
The prison’s vehicle and vehicles parked at the Courts complex and the Courts complex itself were damaged by the protestors.
However Police managed to control the situation and disperse the protestors by firing tear gas.
Two Police constables were injured during the attacks as the protestors pelted stones and ran amok.
Sadly, even the 18-year-old gang rape-murder victim’s mother lost consciousness when the Police used tear gas on the protesters.
Reports said the victim Vithiya’s body was found in an abandoned house in Punkuduthivu on 14 May following which police initially arrested three suspects and later six other suspects. Medical examinations proved that she was gang raped and murdered. She went missing on 13 May.
Meanwhile several other protests were staged in the North and East condemning the incident and the protestors demanded immediate justice.
The Jaffna Magistrate ordered the first three suspects to be remanded until 28 June and the other five until 1 June.
(Source: Ceylon Today)
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This is the voice of the north. What i here under the incident is their dissatisfaction over the rule of majority sinhala govt. One may consider racism, separatism or even an outcome of inter national conspiracy. But if you put over selves in their shoes, i think we would feel the same way. Central govt has repeatedly failed to combat this kind of activities. ( except for few cases where accused were eliminated by unlawful means. – which nobody approves) Capital punishment is inactive as the president does not want to sign the papers. One may consider on the surface , this as his feelings for even the criminals but i feel that he is being selfish as a Buddhist who does not want any part of killing, be it for the benefit of the society. What he does not consider is the fact that by eliminating a criminal, he may be giving life for many others, who would otherwise be the victims of similar acts.
So it is reasonable to consider the singhala leadership is incapable of leading the country anywhere. If you are from the minority, it is reasonable for them to consider that they are being cheated by the majority.
I think it is the time for listening to the minority, looking at the issue from there point of view, as we can not expect to get them to act as the majority at least for a few decades.
There is always a message in what they say and in most cases they point at the weakness of the singhala administration which we have to accept and correct.
When everything is said to be the fault of Sinhalese, it shows the tamil racist modayas that they are real fools, who eat racism, sleep on rasicm, learn racism, and dwell on racism.
When the rapists are also tamil, I ask how come it is the fault of Sinhala people’s or the Sri lankan governments (there is no such thing as Sinhala government but there is a tamil provincial government in jaffna).
So may be it is the tamil people’s dissatisfaction on the tamil provincial government in the north, who couldn’t make their people to behave better.
Primitive uneducated thinking is displayed at it’s highest level.
Within the democratic framework, the politics is decided by the majority. The majority is Sinhalese and therefore if the political system is not acceptable the majority of the blame should go to Sinhalese.
I do not assume, if minority had the opportunity to decide, they would do any better, but i do understand the way they look at it. I do not say it is right or wrong, but it is just the reality.
If the Sinhalese want to continue to dominate this island (which is my utmost expectation) they should begin to change in the right direction. We had one opportunity after the war, but MR did not have the capability for making use of.
The Heading is incorrect it should be Jaffna revolts against law and order as such this revolt should be crushed immediately