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Shots fired at judge’s car in Jaffna; sergeant wounded
View(s):An unidentified man seized the pistol of a Police officer and opened fire at a vehicle carrying Jaffna High Court Judge M. Ilancheliyan, wounding his security officer. The incident occurred near the Nallur Kandasamy Kovil in Jaffna last evening. Judge Ilancheliyan, who was unhurt, told reporters he was the target of the assailant and there was “a serious threat to the judiciary.”
Detectives at the crime scene. Pic by L. Dayalan
The pistol belonged to Mr. Ilancheliyan’s advance motorcycle outrider, a police sergeant. As a routine, he would patrol the routes taken by the judge, now sitting together with two other colleagues, at the trial-at- bar of the rape-and-murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl.
Jaffna Senior Superintendent of Police G.B. Stanislaus said yesterday the judge was travelling in his vehicle escorted by two police sergeants. One of them was in the escort motorcycle. A person who stood at the middle of the road had flagged down the motorcycle. This was after the sergeant had announced that the judge’s vehicle was approaching. He said the person appeared drunk. There had been an argument resulting in scuffle. The sergeant’s weapon had fallen on the ground. The unknown person had then picked up the weapon and opened fire at the vehicle. He said the unknown person had escaped.
The wounded police sergeant is now warded at the Jaffna Hospital. “I saw a civilian approach my escort and trying to remove his pistol. He fought for two to three minutes to get the weapon,” Mr Ilancheliyan told reporters. He said he alighted from his car and ran towards the escort. The civilian shot at my sergeant, he said adding that around five shots were fired.
The judge said, “I am handling the most dangerous cases in Jaffna. I have requested the authorities, including the President, to ensure the protection of the judiciary so they can dispense a free and fair trial.” Deputy Inspector General of Police for Jaffna Palitha Fernando told the Sunday Times last night that the motive of the shooting was not known as yet.
“We have launched a search for the suspect. We are confident that we could locate him in the next few days and ascertain the motive,” he said.