JUDICIAL MEDICAL OFFICER (JMO) Dr M.M.A Rahuman at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, in his Medico-Legal Report to Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court on the alleged attempt of physical abuse by a few soldiers on a nine-year old girl on 14th February 2010, has determined that no vaginal penetration has occurred to this girl as per medical evidence.
The Eravur Police, subsequent to a belated complaint made by the victim’s parents after three days of the incident on 14th February referred the affected party to the Batticaloa Hospital for admission and the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), and interrogated respective soldiers, attached to Thihiliweththai Army camp, Sandiveli. During an identification parade, held on 25th February, the victim identified one soldier, claimed to have been associated with the incident. Court considering submissions forwarded by the Police however remanded all those six suspected soldiers who were present at the location during the alleged incident. (See Press Release on 25th February 2010 captioned “All Six Soldiers Remanded Over Alleged Abuse Charges”).
However, Batticaloa Court on 3rd March 2010 released five of them, except one soldier on cash bail of Rs. 2500/= plus surety bail of Rs. 1 lakh for each when the case was taken up again for hearing. All five bailed out soldiers have now been produced to their mother unit Court trial is to be recalled on 17th instant.
The JMO in his report has further affirmed that the victimized girl remains clinically free of any Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and no fresh or healed injuries or tears present on her body.
Meanwhile, Military Police investigations also got underway simultaneously, on a directive issued by Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya. Military Police also cooperated with Police authorities for their parallel investigations.
In the meantime, a string of Website Media Reports, many of them originated from Sri Lanka with different hidden agendas and vested interests, around the same time of the above unfortunate incident, hysterically tried to couple the death of the Tamil civilian, Mr Rasaiah Nimalesh of G.S.O. Road, Mawadivembo 01 with the girl’s incident in a very schematic and subtle manner, purely with the view to tarnishing and ridiculing Sri Lanka Army image while bringing disrepute to the country at large. Pro-LTTE propaganda mouthpieces with their false fabrications and exaggerated were also in the lead as regards this girl’s alleged physical abuse and subsequent death of the civilian in Sandiveli. In fact some of those reports went on saying that furious civilians stormed the local Army installations.
All those national and international Websites which published concocted elaborate accusations with no basis whatsoever regarding this dead man, found floating in the Mailavattuvan river have been now proved completely wrong, baseless and grossly malicious as both Medical Officers have certified otherwise.
Dr K. Sugumar, Medical Officer In Charge at Chenkalady Rural Hospital, in his post-mortem examination report on the deceased, Mr Rasaiah Nimalesh to Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court on 21st February 2010 certified that his death has occurred due to extensive Cranio Cerebral injury caused by crocodile bite which in turn led to cardio respiratory arrest. Police investigations have also confirmed that the victim had fallen prey to a crocodile while he was crossing that river or taking a bath.
