Van explodes near EPDP newspaper office

by Ananth Palakidnar

Anthonypillai Jeyaraj, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development and Hindu Affairs Douglas Devananda escaped a time bomb explosion targeted at him at Nelson Place, Wellawatte yesterday, sources said.

The bomb which went off around 7.30 am was believed to have been fitted inside a Toyota Town Ace vehicle used by Jeyaraj. The vehicle was parked outside his home when the explosion occurred.

Sutharshan Vijayakanth standing near the vehicle was slightly injured when the bomb exploded.

Jeyaraj escaped a bomb attack two months ago when he was coming out of his office in Valaichenai.

The office of Thinamurasu, the weekly published by the EPDP is also a few yards away from the spot where the bomb went off.

This is the second incident targeted at the EPDP for this year in Colombo since a grenade exploded at the party's office a few months ago.