Jaffna boys smash windows of courts over incident of schoolgirl rape

Jaffna boys smash windows of courts ....

over incident of schoolgirl rape

Tear-gas by police

10th suspect nabbed in Wellawatta when trying to leave island

The hearing of the case relating to gang rape and murder of a 17 year old schoolgirl of Jaffna was

taken up today in Jaffna Courts and when the suspects were being taken to courts the police had to use tear gas this afternoon because of the commotion created by protestors.

In the process of controlling the situation 4 police officers were injured and several vehicles had been damaged. Windows of the courts too faced damage as a result of stones aimed at the courts complex. The police have taken 9 suspects into custody over this incident yesterday. The 10th suspect who had come to Wellawatta in  Colombo with the motive of fleeing from the island was nabbed by the police on a special operations conducted yesterday. Because of this incident protests were seen in schools in Jaffna and a state of harthal was seen with shops etcetera closed yesterday and today.

It is the opinion of the protestors that the number of rapists connected to the incident keeps escalating and that without a systematic investigation all suspects cannot be apprehended. By now investigations concerning this incident of murder has been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department under instructions of the Inspector General of Police.