The
Kalmunai Magistrate retuned today a verdict of homicide in the
death of Sathasivam Sanjeevan, 19, a student of WesleyCollege in
the eastern town. Sanjeevan was shot dead on 15 October 1998,
while being held under the detention of Kalmunai police. The
court ruled that the student had been tortured and died of gun
shot injuries. However, the police claimed that the student was
killed when the Liberation Tigers ambushed the police unit which
was transporting him to the Ampara.
Sanjeevan was arrested by the Kalmunai Police during a search
operation in Paandiruppu on 13 October 1998. The police later
handed over his body to the Ampara Hospital.
Following a hospital inquest, the police handed over the body to
his parents, and ordered them to bury it immediately.
The body of Sanjeevan was exhumed on 22 October 1998, on orders
by the Kalmunai Court, and an autopsy was done by the Judicial
Medical Officer (JMO) for the Batticaloa District,
Dr.K.Chandrapalan.
The JMO's report revealed that the student had been tortured
and shot dead at close range either by AK-47 or T-56 type rifle.
The regional co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission in
Kalmunai, R.Manoharan, filed a case at the Kalmunai Court on
suspicion that the boy was tortured, shot and killed by the
police.It was pointed that Sanjeevan's death was unlikely to
have been caused by an LTTE ambush as none of the policemen in
the jeep were even wounded in the reported incident.
Attorney-at-law, M.K.Perinparasa appeared on behalf of the
victim's family.
In his verdict today, the Kalmunai Magistrate, Anton
Balasingham, ordered the criminal investigators to conduct
further investigations.
The Magistrate further directed the Sammanthurai Police to take
legal actions against the suspects.
