Army denies any involvement in death of youth in Mullaitivu

Colombo, August 9 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Army has denied any involvement in the death of a young man whose body was recovered from the Muthaiyankattu Tank in Mullaitivu, amid allegations that he was assaulted by soldiers after being called for work near the left bank of the Muthaiyankattu Army camp.

The incident occurred when four individuals had reportedly been summoned for work at the camp. Allegations claim that the group was attacked by soldiers, prompting them to flee in different directions, with one man going missing during the escape.

Yesterday, villagers organized a search for the missing individual, and today, his body was recovered from the Muthaiyankattu Tank.

Reports indicate that the army was preparing to vacate the left bank Muthaiyankattu camp in a few days. In preparation for dismantling the camp structures, one of the villagers received a phone call inviting four people for work. Accordingly, the four young men went to the camp.

However, they were allegedly attacked by another group of over 20 soldiers. One of the victims who escaped the assault said they had to flee in different directions to survive.

When contacted, the Army spokesperson said the body was found outside the Army camp, not within their territory, and they had nothing to do with the incident. 

“What happened was that four individuals had illegally entered the camp and when Army personnel observed the entry, the individuals tried to escape. During the escape, one of the four individuals was taken into Army custody and later handed over to the family,” said the Army Spokesperson.

The body recovered today has been identified as that of 32-year-old Edirmannasingham Kapilraj, who had gone missing during the escape.

Muthaiyankattu Police are conducting investigations into the incident.