Judge Ilancheliyan narrowly escapes assassination attempt in Jaffna

Jaffna High Court Judge Manickavasagam Ilancheliyan narrowly escaped assassination attempt at Nalloor in Jaffna around 5:10 p.m. on Saturday. Two guards giving security to him sustained injuries in the incident. The judge, who was not injured, told TamilNet that the attacker seemed to be an experienced gunman. Judge Manickavasagam Ilancheliyan is well known for his independent judgements. He is also known to be not hesitating to rule against armed criminal elements that operate with the backing of the occupying SL military. The incident on Saturday has taken place at a time Nalloor temple is preparing for its annual festival which is scheduled to commence on coming Friday.

Crime scene behind Naloor temple

The pistol used by the attacker

The firing seems to be a work of two attackers who came in a motorbike. One of them has allegedly grabbed the pistol of an escorting policeman and exchanged fire with the police escort. When Judge Ilancheliyan came out of his car, the gunman attempted to fire at him, but his security got him into the car, the Judge told TamilNet.

The two security personnel were rushed to hospital and the judge accompanied them to Jaffna hospital.

The exchange of gunfire lasted almost 5 minutes before the attacker, escaped from the crime scene. The pistol has been located in the street, news sources in Jaffna said.

Judge Ilancheliyan emerged as a fearless judge following the investigation on Chemmani mass graves in late 1990s when he ordered the CID and the SL Police to bring the five ‘Sri Lanka’ Army (SLA) personnel, who were convicted in the rape and murder of the Jaffna school girl Krishanthy Kumaraswamy, for an identification parade. One of the SL soldiers identified as the culprit, gave evidence on how the crime was committed.

In 2015, Ilancheliyan sentenced four SL military soldiers for five to twenty years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a Tamil girl in and for sexually abusing a Tamil woman in Visuvamadu in Mullaiththeevu in 2010.

He has been targeted by unknown attackers in the past.

In 2011, unknown attackers who went to his house located at Velanai in the Kayts Island, killed 51-year-old Savarimuththu Jesuraja who was residing at his house.