News

Kethishwaran Loganathan, 53, deputy head of the Government Peace Secretariat, was shot dead at his residence in Dehiwala last night by suspected Tiger guerrillas, Police said.

They said three persons had arrived in a car at Mr. Loganathan’s Vandervert Place residence, close to St. Mary’s church, and called out for him. As he was opening the gate three shots were fired at him.

Bullets had hit his head, chest and the hand. He was rushed to the Kalubowila hospital in a police vehicle, but was pronounced dead on admission.

He was shot around 9.15 p.m. but was not taken to hospital until police arrived at 9.45, The Sunday Times learns.

It was only last week President Mahinda Rajapaksa had warned him about a threat to his life. Peace Secretariat Chief Palitha Kohona had also advised him to move to Colombo. A spokesman for the President’s Office said the President strongly condemned the assassination and called on the international community to take serious note of such incidents where intellectuals were being assassinated. Mr. Loganathan assumed duties as Deputy Secretary General of the Government Peace Secretariat six months ago, after leaving the Centre for Police Alternatives where he was working as a director. On Friday Mr. Loganathan attended a meeting of the All-Party representatives at the Peace Secretariat. Mr. Loganathan was a founder member of the EPRLF under the leadership of K. Pathmanaba and represented the party at the Thimpu talks in 1985. He quit the party in 1991 and left for London for further studies. On his return he also worked as an Associate Editor of the Weekend Express newspaper.