The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) says that they are conducting investigations into the killing of two Jaffna university students and will produce its findings to the Magistrate tomorrow. According to highly placed CID sources, a team has been sent to Jaffna to carry out investigations. Security in Jaffna and Kilinochchi has been beefed up following the incident, as the funerals of the two students are due to take place tomorrow and the day after, sources said. Soon after the shooting came to light, the TNA issuing a statement condemned the incident and said that they regret the events which had occurred. With the statement issued by President Sirisena ordering an impartial investigation into the shooting of the two youths in Jaffna last Thursday, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan is confident that impartial investigations will be carried out as ordered by the President.
President Sirisena in a tweet yesterday stated, “I learned with grief the news of the deaths of two Jaffna University students. Ordered compensation and an immediate independent inquiry.”
The Opposition Leader told the Sunday Observer that he spoke to the President on the matter. “We were together at a function in Trincomalee. And I took this up with the President and he said that there will be an impartial investigation into the matter. And that he would instruct accordingly. And the police officers have been taken into custody,” he said.
On Thursday, between 11.30 p.m and midnight, two students of the Arts Faculty, Jaffna University travelling on a motorbike failed to stop when ordered to do so by the police.
According to information that has surfaced, police had initially fired shots to the sky as a warning and subsequently fired shots at the motorbike which had sped away. According to the CID, the shots had been fired within a range of 200 metres.
“Though the shooting took place around midnight, what really happened doesn’t seem to have been made public until about noon the following day. One of the two boys sustained gun shot injuries and the other boy died due to head injuries following the crash. Now the law has to take its course,” the Opposition leader said.
The two boys have been identified as Sundiraja Sulakshan of Chunnakam and Pavunraj Sulakshan, a resident of Kilinochchi.
An official at the Jaffna Police station speaking to the Sunday Observer said that the rider had sustained gunshot injuries to the abdomen. Five police officers have been taken into custody relating to the incident and were produced before the Magistrate yesterday. They have been remanded till November 4.
Although there was a tense situation in the vicinity of the hospital after the incident where many students from the University gathered, it later calmed down.
“There was a tense situation immediately after the news spread. but today it seems to be pretty calm,” he said.