Chilaw shooting: Victim and suspect both Vanni LTTE cadres

by Sumith Jayasinghe and Prasad Purnamal

Police Investigations have revealed that both the deceased victim and the suspect in the shooting incident at Chilaw Town last Saturday (16) were members of the Vanni LTTE cadres.

The suspect arrested by the police had given his name as Subramaniam Mohan, but among the LTTE cadres he was known as Isa Amudeen, who joined the LTTE in 1997 as a 13 year old child soldier. His mother is a Sinhala woman.

According to investigations, this suspect has come to Chilaw in the company of Vasanthan, the leader of the Trincomalie LTTE Intelligence Unit and was assigned to kill the victim who was suspected by the LTTE as a person giving LTTE secrets to the Police and the Army. Trincomalie LTTE leader Bharathi has made this assignment promising a gratification of Rs.20,000. The suspect's parents had been residents of Thonigala, Anamaduwa. During the war period he has taken part in operations such as Jayasikuru and Arantalawa.

Investigations further revealed that the deceased, Arumugam Kuvendran is a 28 year old father of one. Out of disgust, he had fled from the LTTE grip and was later on February 17 arrested by the Madampe Police when he was attempting to illegally go to Italy by a boat. He was on remand and was later released on bail on condition to report to the Chilaw Police on every first Sunday of each month. To make the task of reporting at the Chilaw Police Station once a month easier, he rented out a room at Lansiyawatta, Chilaw, six months ago and was living there with his wife and son, while employed in a hotel as a waiter, when he came by his tragic end on July 16.