Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, a former State Minister known as Pillayan, has been ordered to remain in custody until August 18 as investigations continue into five killings that occurred in Batticaloa District in 2008.
Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, commonly known as Pillayan, was remanded for a further period by Batticaloa Magistrate A. Darshini following a court appearance conducted via video conferencing. The remand extends until August 18 as authorities pursue their investigation into a series of fatal incidents from 2008.
Chandrakanthan has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and appears as the third accused in a case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department. The charges relate to five murders committed in different areas of Batticaloa District, as well as allegations involving a land dispute. During the court hearing, two attorneys represented Chandrakanthan while witnesses were also present.
According to the CID, the investigation was initiated following information about shootings allegedly carried out with T-56 assault rifles in 2008. The incidents under investigation include the fatal shooting of two individuals near the Kallady Murugan Temple in Batticaloa, which reportedly included a former police officer; the deaths of two persons on the main road in Kattankudy on May 22, 2008; and the shooting of another individual allegedly by an armed group in Kothiyapulai, Vavunathivu, on August 20, 2008.
