New appointment motive behind killing - IGP

Vigneswaran assassination:

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

COLOMBO: Initial police investigations into Friday's assassination of Tamil People's Forum leader V. Vigneswaran revealed that a group of persons opposed to his being appointed leader of the forum in place of late Joseph Pararajasingham could be the motive for the killing.

Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando told the Daily News that police have questioned over 20 suspects following the incident.

Two assailants who had come on a motorbicycle shot dead Vigneswaran in the premises of the Bank of Ceylon in Trincomalee.

The IGP dismissed LTTE allegations that the Police failed to arrest the suspects.

Police investigations reveal that a three wheeler was seen with a woman in it at the bank premises at the time of the incident. It had left the scene following the shooting, the IGP said.

"The police had traced the three wheeler and the driver. Police is questioning him."

"Vigneswaran had sent a letter to me praising the police. He had been a person who had developed a good relationship with police. He was in fact closely associated with the police," the IGP said.

Vigneswaran had gone to the bank, where he worked, on Friday morning and had met the bank manager. He had wanted to withdraw Rs. 300,000. The bank manager had requested the cashier to get the money while Vigneswaran had gone out for a cup of tea.

The canteen is on the ground floor of the building. It was around 9.45 a.m. He had come out of the building and had walked towards the gate. But he could not reach the gate for he had been shot several metres away from the gate.

The IGP disclosed that the gunman fired two shots and fled on the motorbicycle through a by-lane.

"At the time there were two armed security guards at the bank. They are being questioned as to why they did not respond," the IGP said.

Dismissing criticism levelled by the LTTE that paramilitary groups were responsible for the killing, the IGP said: "The Sri Lankan police recognises only one paramilitary, that is the STF."

"We enforce the law against these criminals. It does not make any sense if one were to say that the police was responsible for not arresting the killers."