August 18, Colombo (LNW): Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as ‘Pillayan’, has been ordered to remain in remand custody until 1 September as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) continues its probe into a series of killings reported in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province in 2008.
The CID has initiated legal proceedings before the Matale Magistrate’s Court against Chandrakanthan and several other suspects over five murders allegedly carried out in different parts of Batticaloa District during that year.
Investigators have identified Chandrakanthan as a suspect in several of the incidents under examination. Among them are the fatal shootings of two people, one of whom was a former police officer, near the Kallady Murugan Temple in Batticaloa in 2008.
The investigation also covers the deaths of two individuals who were shot on the main road in Kattankudy on 22 May 2008. A further incident under scrutiny concerns the killing of another person by an armed group in Kothiyapulai, Vavunathivu, on the night of 20 August 2008.
The court’s decision to extend Chandrakanthan’s remand period allows investigators additional time to pursue evidence and examine the circumstances surrounding the five cases. The CID is continuing its investigations into the alleged involvement of the suspects in the incidents.
