Judge orders Sri Lanka police to release Vanni doctor if no evidence found

Colombo Chief Magistrate Champa Janaki Jayaratna Monday has ordered the Sri Lanka police to release one of the five doctors arrested by the government for involving with LTTE and providing misinformation.


The judge made the order when the court convened today to hear the case of Dr. Thangamuthu Sathiyamoorthy, who was the regional director of the Kilinochchi district hospital until he fled with the LTTE to the no-fire zone in Mullaitivu.

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the hearing today said the investigations on the doctor's alleged involvement with LTTE had been completed and it has been handed over to the Attorney General.

Counsel for the accused asked the court to order his release if there were no evidence found against him. Dr. Sathiyamoorthy has been free on bail since August 2009.

The court will convene on July 12 to hear the case.

The doctors who allegedly gave overly exaggerated figures through satellite phones to Western news agencies during the LTTE occupation of the Wanni region were arrested by the security forces when they were escaping the conflict zone in the final days of battle