Soldier, PC arrested in Thandikulam killing

COLOMBO: The CID teams investigating the killings of five students at the Agriculture College in Thandikulam, Kurumankadu have arrested a Police Constable and a soldier as inquiries revealed the complicity of the police constable attached to the Kurumankadu Police Post and the soldier in a nearby bunker, CID sources said yesterday.

The CID conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged shooting at the Agriculture College following a claymore mine explosion, on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's directive to IGP Victor Perera.

According to DIG CID Asoka Wijetilleka the CID is due to forward a comprehensive report on their findings to the IGP within this week. DIG Wijetilleka said investigation teams have also observed serious dereliction of duty by some senior officers who visited the scene in the first instance.

IGP Perera has stressed that irrespective of the ranks, stern disciplinary action will be taken no sooner he receives the detailed findings of the CID report.

The CID sent a special team to Vavuniya and conducted in-depth investigations and unearthed evidence relevant to the incident prior to the arrest of the soldier and the police constable, sources added.

The CID have taken both the police constable and the soldier and produced before Vavuniya Magistrate M. Illanchanlan and remanded for an identification parade. The two suspects have been remanded to fiscal custody till December 5.

The CID took charge of 24 weapons used by Police and Security Forces personnel who appeared at the scene soon after the explosion and moved Courts to forward them to the Government.

Analyst along with the empty casings and slugs recovered from the scene and the body of one of the victims for comparison and report, sources added.

According to the CID, 13 empty T 56 ammunition had been found at the scene initially by Police and five more empty casings and two live ammunition of the same calibre were found at the scene by CID teams on November 21. One slug has been recovered from one body, by JMO, Vavuniya.

Evidence have revealed that soon after the explosion targeting the Army truck, a group of personnel in camouflage uniforms had opened fire at the Agriculture School students.

According to Dr. M. Balachandran, Judicial Medical Officer in Vavuniya, the injuries caused to the five students and others have been due to close range firing.