Suspects arrested:

Woman abducted in white van killed

Sandasen Marasinghe

Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna and Police arrested several suspects in connection with an abduction in Jaffna using a white van yesterday. A spokesperson for the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna said that a woman and her child aged 15 were abducted at Meesalai Sunday.

The woman had been murdered while the child was found alive by Police.

The spokesperson said that a Sri Lankan Tamil expatriate in Canada had committed the crime. Investigations revealed that a white van had been hired from a person in the Wellawatte area.

The spokespersons said four Tamil persons were arrested including a woman in connection with the crime. The Police and Army were able to seize the white van used in the crime.

He added that the victim Kugadas Shanthi, 38, was the wife of an expatriate named Pugadasan. The child, Pugadas Ruban was theirs.

The spokesperson stated that on a tip off the Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna and Chavakachcheri Police conducted a joint operation. Investigators were able to find the abducted child and a woman assigned to look after the child.

They later found the woman’s remains. She had been brutally assaulted and her remains were burnt later. According to the spokesperson Pugadasan had hired two thugs from Vavuniya to abduct the two persons. Investigators were also able to arrest the kingpin of the crime in Chavakachcheri. They also arrested the driver of the van, identified as Rajah.