Mr Sanjeevan was arrested in October 1998 and the police later claimed that he was shot dead by the LTTE when being taken for an enquiry. Following a complaint by the Human Rights Commission, his body was exhumed. The government Judicial Medical Officer’s report says that Mr Sanjeevan had suffered severe torture and according to the Government Analyst he had been shot at close range.
Batticaloa MP Thurairajasingham says that in a number of instances Inquirers into Sudden Deaths (ISD), who are empowered by law only to record the apparent cause of death, were exceeding their powers by declaring deaths by security force shooting as “accidental deaths” or “justiciable homicides”. He has expressed suspicion that the ISDs are under pressure from the police to make such declarations.
Following a complaint, Judge J Visvanathan has informed all ISDs that they should act within their powers, pointing out that there is no provision in law to declare a death as “justiciable homicide”. In early October, the Magistrate’s Court issued summons for the fourth time on a soldier accused of attempting to murder by shooting S Nagarajah on 29 March in Sithandy.
As Deputy Defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte visited Amparai on 3 October to inspect new security arrangements in border villages of Batticaloa and Amparai districts, the LTTE attacked a police post in Sungavil in Batticaloa killing a policeman and wounding two others.
Fear pervades border villages after the LTTE attack on Punchi Sigiriya in Amparai last month. Reports say the Tigers attempted to attack the 8th Colony village in Amparai on 28 October, but the villagers had taken refuge elsewhere during the night. Amnesty International has expressed concern that three Tamil refugees, including S Velayutham, 56, in the border village of Sinnawathai have disappeared after arrest by Home Guards on 8 October.
In Trincomalee District, a refugee in the UNHCR-assisted Allesthottam camp was arrested by the security forces in early October. The LTTE attacked an Army water bowser on 5 October in Kanniya killing two soldiers.
The Navy carried out a house-to-house search operation in Manayaveli area near the naval base on 9 October to identify Tiger infiltrators. Fishermen N Sivapatham and Y Pathmanathan were arrested by the Navy while fishing off Muthur. Army searched Trincomalee town and surrounding areas on 20 October. Over 2,500 people, including children, were paraded before Talayattis or masked informers at the Selvanayagapuram school.