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Murder of an innocent student

by Rashomi Silva

The grieving mother of Ovitigala Vithanage Samantha described her son as a person who would rush to the aid of the helpless even at the risk to his life.

"He had no connection with any political party. He did not belong to any student union in the university. Samantha only wanted to ensure that the freshers were not ragged."

She was hurt that certain newspapers had distorted facts claiming Samantha died as a result of clash between two rival student groups.

"This was absolutely false. There wasn't a fight at all. It was my son and some other innocent boys who were set upon by an unruly mob. I have lost my precious son and I alone have to bear the pain," she said, tears streaming down her face.

Suranga Handapangoda, also a third year student of the Management Faculty blamed the JVP backed student union for the inhumane student slaughter. The JVP has tried to create the impression that there was outside involvement in the brutal assault, he said.

"But I take the total responsibility about what I am saying - there were no outsiders involved. It was done by the brutes of the Inter University Student Federation or the student wing of the JVP."

Describing Thursday's incident he said: "From the sequence of events it was very obvious that the whole incident was well planned and pre-arranged. The attackers locked and guarded all entrances to the university preventing outsiders from entering the campus."

"We were in middle of our lectures when we learnt that JVP activists were brutally assaulting a group of students who opposed ragging. The girls panicked and some of us had to escort them out of the university. After seeing them safely out of the premises we went to the scene of the incident.

"About 75 of them were aggressively attacking a student or students. It was not clear who was being attacked as there was a swarm of attackers. We heard shouting and pleading as the attackers beat them severely with bed poles, computer monitors and blunt weapons. We were utterly helpless as there were not even 10 of us against a mob of about 75. Later on with the help of the academic staff and other staffers of the University we managed to get away from the mob."

"Samantha was put into a 'pickup'. Even then he was unconscious. The assailants dragged Samantha from the moving vehicle and attacked him again repeatedly. The driver was infuriated and vowed to take Samantha to hospital even if he had to take his vehicle over the bodies of the attackers. We managed to put him back into the vehicle. Then they locked all the gates and stood before the gates as a human barrier. But the driver managed to breach the barrier and get out of the campus premises. Samantha was almost dead when he was taken to the hospital. He paid the supreme sacrifice to secure the future of the others."

S.B. Lilarathne, the driver, said: "I was driving the vehicle Samantha was in. When I started the vehicle they dragged Samantha out of the moving vehicle and started attacking Samantha severely. I said I will take samantha to hospital even if I had to risk some of the attackers lives and started the vehicle. Some of the staffers and students managed to put Samantha back in the pickup. When we reached the gates they were all locked. With effort we opened the gates and managed to get the vehicle out of the premises."

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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