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Ex-minister,
GA seriously injured in attacks
Government Agent Ratnam Monagurusamy was on his way from Vakarai when gunmen suspected to be LTTE cadres from Wanni opened fire at him last evening. After emergency surgery he was flown last night to Colombo in a Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft. Last afternoon, gunmen, suspected to be Tiger guerrilla cadres from the Wanni, opened fire on two others -former Hindu Cultural Affairs minister T. Maheswaran, UNF candidate for Colombo district and R.K. Shankaran, an active member of the EPDP and a former MP for Jaffna district. Mr. Maheswaran was shot at when he and his supporters were canvassing house-to house- at Ginthupitiya in Kotahena. Doctors at the Colombo National Hospital said he was in a critical condition. The gunmen who fired at him had come in a three wheeler and when they were about to flee Mr. Maheswaran's police guard had fired at them but it was not clear whether they were hit. The senior EPDP member, R.K. Shankaran was shot at in Wellawatte when he was on his way to the EPDP head office. He was driving his own three wheeler when two gunmen waiting on a motorcycle followed him and reportedly opened fire. Mr. Shankaran told police he felt suspicious about the two youth and had noticed them following him, thus prompting him to speed away and escape. The Batticaloa Government Agent is said to be closely associated with the Eastern Karuna faction which is locked in a major power struggle with the LTTE's Wanni leadership. Mr. Monagurusamy earlier in the day had addressed the Assistant Returning officers and the Divisional Secretaries in the uncleared areas and thereafter had left to Vakarai, an area controlled by Karuna's brother Reggie. The GA was accompanied by his driver, S. Emmanuel. The purpose of the visit was to make arrangements for the setting up of the cluster booths in the cleared areas enabling the voters from uncleared areas to vote on Friday. After overseeing the arrangements he was on his way back to his house accompanied by Mankerny Grama Sevaka officer Rajan. As soon as his blue car entered the city limits at Pillaryadi two people believed to be LTTE cadres approached his vehicle on a motor cycle from the opposite direction, cut across the road, drove parallel to the side on which the GA was seated and fired thrice, eye witnesses said. The Grama Sevaka officer was also injured. Immediately after the incident, Additional Government Agent, C. Punyamoorthy was appointed as the District Returning officer to carryon with the duties of making preparations to conduct the elections. The security forces also intensified security in Batticaloa town. Security
forces on alert He said he believed that the LTTE was responsible for both incidents in Colombo. The Police Chief said sudden road blocks and search operations would be stepped up in certain areas. |
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Mr.
Monagurusamy being transferred from the Batticaloa Hospital.
Pix by Ishara S. Kodikara and T. Vedanayagam
