கட்டுரைகள் “HOME GUARDS” RAPED AND SHOT TWO TAMIL WOMEN மூலம்: https://noolaham.net/project/33/3284/3284.pdf | Tamil Times pg 18 வெளியிடப்பட்ட ஆண்டு: பெப்ரவரி 1986 மொழிபெயர்ப்பு: - The gruesome details of how, on Christmas Day, five armed home guards posing as soldiers forcibly removed two Tamil women from their house in Mutur, allegedly raped them and later shot them, were revealed at an inquest held into the death of one of the women killed, Mary Agnes Yogeswary (21), by acting Mutur Magistrate Mr. M.K. Sellarajah. The incident occurred in Mutur in eastern Sri Lanka. Dr. C.C.K. Sellathurai, DMO Trincomalee, who held the post-mortem on Yogeswary, was of the opinion that death was caused by gunshot injuries and that the victim had been raped before death. After the evidence of M.H. Mohammadu Basheer, Mary Alphonso and Parameswary was recorded, the acting Magistrate returned a verdict of homicide and ordered the five suspects to be taken into custody in this connection, and be produced before the Co-ordinating Officer Trincomalee for interrogation. M.H. Mohammadu Basheer, giving evidence, said that on 25th December at about 7 p.m. he was met by one Nawaz who was with four others. Nawaz had told witness that they were army personnel and wanted witness to show the pathway to the house of Jamil at the 64th mile post Mutur. Witness went with them. One of them gave him a gun to be kept with him. At the 64th mile post the five persons entered a house. Witness did not know whose house it was. Witness was asked to search the drawers of a table. He found some papers. He was then asked to wait outside. After about 15 minutes the five persons came out with two young women and a young man. All of them went to Periyapalam. At the Periyapalam Muslim school, witness and the young man who accompanied the two women were asked to wait outside. The five persons went into the school with the two women. After about 45 minutes one of the five men came out and asked witness to bring the youth for questioning. Witness saw the two women seated in two corners in the school building. After some time the five men, along with the two women, the youth and witness went towards Iddiman Aru. One Nawahir and witness were made to wait at a certain spot before the other four men with the two women and the youth proceeded towards the Aru (river). Nawahir had a hand grenade, a gun, a cartridge belt and a torch with him. The other four persons had guns identical to those used by army personnel. Five minutes later witness heard a gun shot and thereafter nine gun shots one after the other. Fifteen minutes later the four men returned and witness was asked to fire the gun given to him. When he declined, they gave him a cartridge and forced him to fire the gun. Through fear he fired the gun and his right shoulder was still paining. He had never used a gun before. Witness later came to know they were Muslim home guards and not army personnel. On the instructions of the leader of the mosque, witness made a statement to Mutur Police about the incident on 27th of December. Mary Alphonso, wife of Francis (34), said that at about 8 p.m. on the day in question, six persons came to their house and ordered her and her husband out. At that time witness’s sister Felicia (18), brother Jesuthasan (21) and stepsister Yogeswary (21) were sleeping inside the house. One of the men took witness into the house and searched the drawers of a table and boxes. They took two wrist watches from a drawer. That person ordered witness to undress; she refused and cried out “Amma” and ran out of the house. The men went inside the house, put up the three persons sleeping inside and took them away, saying they were being taken to the army camp for questioning. Parameswary, wife of Thavarajah (27), said her sister Yogeswary lived with her stepsister in the adjoining house. On December 26 at about 7 a.m., stepmother of witness Anthonyamma informed witness that her children had been taken by the army. She wanted witness to help her trace her children. They informed the leader of the home guards there to find out whether the two women and the youth were at the army camp. After some time they were informed that the trio were not taken by the army. A little while after, witness came to know about the discovery of Felicia near the Iddiman Aru. She was not dead and was sent to Trincomalee base hospital. On 28th, witness learnt that the dead body of Yogeswary had been found near Kaddaiparichan Aru. She identified the body as that of her sister. The body of Jesuthasan was not found. *****