Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, alongside two other suspects, has been further remanded until October 27 in connection with the 2008 killings of five individuals across the Batticaloa district.
The extension order was delivered during court proceedings where Pillayan appeared before the bench via video-link technology. In contrast, the two co-suspects, identified as Mohamed Sifan and Mohamed Sakeed, were physically produced before the open court. Sifan and Sakeed, both residents of Kattankudy who are alleged to have operated as military intelligence informants, were previously taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Pillayan remains detained as a suspect under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Key Developments
- Remand Extension: Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan), Mohamed Sifan, and Mohamed Sakeed have been ordered to remain in custody until October 27 following their latest court appearance.
- Kallady Shootings: The investigation examines the 2008 fatal shooting of two individuals, including a police officer, in the Kallady area of Batticaloa.
- Kattankudy Killings: The case covers the fatal shootings of two persons in Kattankudy, one of whom was an active member of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).
- Vavunatheevu-Karaiyakkanditheevu Incident: Inquiries encompass the alleged abduction and brutal killing of a local businessman in the Vavunatheevu-Karaiyakkanditheevu area.
- Custody and Appearance Modes: While Pillayan participated remotely through a video link under Prevention of Terrorism Act detention, CID-arrested suspects Sifan and Sakeed appeared in person.
The legal proceedings remain centered on unraveling the chain of violent events from 2008, as the court awaits the next scheduled hearing on October 27.