Editor of Sri Lankan Tamil newspaper arrested for questioning

by Sanjay Jha | February 26, 2009 at 03:22 am

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Government troops have arrested an editor of a tamil language newspaper for aiding a rebel air attack on the capital last week. He became latest victim in a string of attacks on the war-wracked island's journalists.

The family member of N. Vidyatharan, chief editor of the Sudaroli and Uthayan newspapers allged that while attending the funeral of a relative at Mount Lavinia, a suburb of the capital, he was picked up by government troops.

The editor of a Tamil daily was picked up by police today for "questioning" in connection with the news on last week's LTTE aircraft attack on the capital that targetted a government building.

N Vidyatharan, the Chief Editor of the Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily, was "dragged" from the funeral of a relative in the suburbs of Colombo this morning, the newspaper's managing editor said.

While initial reports said the journalist was abducted by men wearing police uniforms, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) clarified that he had been taken up for questioning in connection with the news on the LTTE aircraft attack.

"He has been detained for questioning and his release will depend on the outcome of this interrogation," the MCNS said, without giving further details.

The Tamil newspaper's managing editor and Managing Director E Saravanabhavan earlier told PTI: "N Vidyatharan was attending the funeral in Mount Lavinia when he was abducted by an armed group at 9.55 am".

"He was dragged like an animal and put on an white van that had a number plate which may be a wrong one," he said.

He said: "even if he (Vidyatharan) has been arrested, this is not the way that he should have been dragged from a funeral".