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By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The time was 10.25 pm when Dharmaratnam Puvirajakeerthi Sivaram (DP Sivaram) alias Taraki
came out of the Bambalapitiya restaurant on the land side of Galle Road in Bambalapitiya. There
were three others with him. This place was not a favourite haunt of Sivaram for imbibing
Bachchanalian brew as it served only beer and foreign liquor. Siva usually preferred hard, local
stuff.It was by sheer accident on that fateful Thursday of April 28th that he had gone there with the
others.
Sivaram's companions were freelance journalist Kusal Perera, Health sector Trade Unionist Ravi
Kumudesh and a NGO coordinator Prasanna Ratnayake a cousin of UNP Parliamentarian Sagala
Ratnayake. How this quartet got together was quite interesting. Initially Kusal had run into Sivaram an
old friend at the Bambalapitiya junction in the early evening. They decided to have a drink. Sivaram
said that he had to meet someone before that. So they arranged to meet at the restaurant at a
certain time.He gave Kusal his cell number and left.
Kusal went to the Majestic shopping complex food court and sipped a soft drink to kill time. While at
Majestic another friend Prasanna saw Kusal and hailed him. They began chatting. Kusal told him that
he was planning to meet "Taraki" the journalist. Now Prasanna who had never met Taraki wanted to
meet him also. So Kusal whose mobile was not equipped for outgoing calls used Prasannas cellular
to leave an SMS message for Sivaram. Siva responded soon. Kusal told him that he had a friend with
him who also wanted to come for a drink. Sivaram said it was "OK" but that he would be delayed.
Now another call was received by Kusal. This was from Victor Ivan editor of "Ravaya". Ravi
Kumudesh the trade unionist wanted to meet him over a "news" matter. Kusal told him that he was at
Majestic food court and wanted Ravi to come there to meet him. Kumudesh informed Kusal through
Victor that he would be there in 45 minutes.
A little later Sivaram rang saying that he was at the restaurant. So Kusal and Prasanna left the food
court and went to the restaurant. Prasanna was introduced to Sivaram and the threesome began
sipping beer. After a while Kusal got a call from Ravi now at Majestic food court. Kusal asked him to
come over to the restaurant. Soon Ravi came in and there were four at the table.
After pleasant conversation on a number of topics including politics the quartet settled their first bill
of 1300 rupees and went in for some more drink. Sivaram received four calls while being at the
restaurant. He also called two journalist friends and asked them to join him. Both had declined as
they were tied up in work. They decided to call it a day (or night) around 10. 20, paid the bill and
came out of the water hole.
Ravi and Prasanna bade good - bye and walked towards the Kollupitiya side saying they wanted to
take a three - wheeler to Borella. Kusal and Siva walked towards the Wellawatte side talking to each
other. The idea was to finish their private discussion and then board a bus to go home.
Perera and Sivaram were at a bus stand near De Vos avenue when the latter received a call on his
mobile phone. Speaking in Tamil the 46 year old bi - lingual journalist walked a little ahead while
Kusal stayed behind looking out in the opposite direction for a bus. At one point he saw a Pettah -
Panadura bus coming and turned to Sivaram and alert him about the bus.
What he saw unnerved Kusal. A silver - grey Pajeiro inter - cooler was parked on the road near
Sivaram. .It was a Toyota SUV with the number plate WPG 11. Kusal could not see the other digits
properly.Two men were trying to push Sivaram into the vehicle. A third man was standing near the
open door. The motor was running with a fourth man at the wheel. Suddenly they gripped Sivaram
from behind and began forcing him to get into the vehicle. Sivaram was grappling with his abductors.
Though they were in civils they exuded an aura of "uniform".
Kusal Perera says that he saw this scuffle and tried to go near them shouting "Siva" and "Sivaram".
The abductors succeeded in pushing Sivaram into the vehicle. Two men gestured menacingly at
Kusal and got in themselves. Kusal says that he panicked as the vehicle sped off. Knowing that it
was futile and impossible to give chase Kusal too hailed a three - wheeler . His idea was to go home
safely and inform as many people as possible of the abduction. Pereras problem was that his mobile
was not equipped for out - going calls. So he had to go home and call people.
While going home he received a call from Prasanna who asked him whether everything was all right.
Apparently the three - wheeler driver in which they were travelling in had driven for a while towards
Wellawatte in order to take a "U" turn to drive the other way. He had seen some people bundling a
person into a vehicle and told his passengers. Kusal then told them of the incident. After reaching
home Kusal began calling as many people as possible informing them of the abduction. He did not
know Sivarams home number. Sivas mobile was not answering.
Sivaram had left home in Mt. Lavinia at about 5 pm telling his wife that he was going for a movie. She
received a call from an unknown caller at 10.45 pm asking her where Siva was. When she told him
he was out the caller had queried whether everything was all right. She had not thought anything
wrong then. It was a little later that people alerted by Kusal rang her and told her of the incident.
An agitated Ranjini also known as Bhavani now tried calling Sivaram on his mobile. Somebody
received it and then cut off the call. After this happened a few times she stopped . After some time
she tried again. Now the phone was "off". Worried she called her brother .The brother in Mattakkuliya
came over to Mount Lavinia. They went to the Police Station in Bambalapitiya and lodged a complaint
relating all what had happened.The complaint was duly recorded. The time was now past 11.30 pm.
Two journalists alerted by Kusal Perera were Victor Ivan and Rajpal Abeynayake of "Sunday Times".
They started informing many authorities. Abeynayake a close friend of Sivaram called Army
Commander Shantha Kottegoda and informed him of it. Kottegoda was hazy at first about who
Sivaram was. Once he realised that it was Taraki he became very attentive and concerned. He
immediately informed army headquarters to issue an alert.
It was early morning when the worried family of Sivaram received an official call from the Police They
were asked to identify a body.A corpse suspected of being that of Sivaram had been discovered at
Kimbula - ela in a shrub on the bank of Diyawanna Oya. The spot was about 500 metres behind the
Sri Jayewardenapura Parliament along the Japan - Sri Lanka friendship highway.
Sivarams family consisting of his wife, two daughters and son along with friends and relatives went
there. The area came under the Talangama Police division.To their horror they found that the body
was indeed that of Sivaram.
43 year old Yogaranjini and eldest daughter 16 year old Vaishnavi broke down. The younger
daughter Vaideki (13) and son Seralathan (10) were held by relatives who did not allow them to see
the body. Mother and daughter fell down and began weeping.
According to the Talangama Police they had received an "anonymous" phone call at about 1.00 AM
that a body was seen in that particular spot. The first man to identify Sivarams body was "Sunday
Times" journalist Christopher Kamalendran a close friend of Taraki. Another person who consoled
the family at the spot was Selvam Adaikkalanathan the TELO leader and MP for Wanni.
Sivaram was gagged with a dotted serviette and had his hands tied behind his back. He had been hit
with a blunt instrument on the back of his head. This seems to have been done to prevent his
struggling. The brave fighter that he was Sivaram would have obviously resisted his abductors
valiantly and therefore was made unconscious.
He seems to have been brought alive to the spot and then killed. Sivaram was shot at point blank
range with a 9 mm browning. One shot had cleanly entered his neck and chest. The second had
penetrated his hand and entered the body. Contrary to reports in the tiger media there were no
signs of torture. Two 9 mm empties were found near his body. IT appeared that the killers had laid
the presumably unconscious body on the ground and fired at close quarters
The body was then taken to the Colombo JMO office for a post - mortem. Dr. Jeanne Perera head
of forensic medicine at the Colombo medical faculty conducted it. When the media contacted her
afterwards she declared " there was no torture or assault. I say that vehemently".
Continuing Dr. Perera said " He (Sivaram) had been given one blow on the back of his head and
then shot twice on his shoulder blade and neck while he lay on the ground. The killing occurred
where the body was found. The swelling on one of his eyes was not the result of a blow but due to
the vibration when the bullets pierced the body".
She also placed the time of death at about 12.30 to 1. 00 pm
Later the body was brought to AF Raymonds for embalming. It was then taken to his residence. It will
be taken to Batticaloa for the funeral at the family residence on Lady Manning Drive and finally laid
to rest at the Aaladicholai cemetery near Veechukalmunai - Pudooron Monday May 2nd.
The LTTE political Commissar SP Thamilselvan called Mrs. Sivaram to express condolences. He
wanted her to air lift the body to Jaffna and then bring it by road to Kilinochchi. Many people
including LTTE leader Pirapakaran wanted to pay his respects he said. Thereafter it could be taken
for burial in Batticaloa.
Yogaranjini whose sister was married to Ramalingam Vasudeva the former PLOTE leader killed by
the LTTE in Batticaloa in 1987, gracefully declined. She thanked Tamilselvan and told him that
Sivaram had wanted a simple funeral in Batticaloa. Besides she did not want the body to deteriorate
through the delay and exposure.
The Police are conducting inquiries and have recorded statements from more than 30 people
including employees at the restaurant , other patrons, bystanders, Kusal, Ravi and Prasanna. The
tiger media has accused some restaurant employees and even the companions at Sivarams last
drink of being complicit in the murder. These seem to be wild charges.
The Police however are pursuing a line of inquiry as to whether some restaurant employee had
tipped off the assailants that Sivaram was at the place. Another doubt is whether Sivaram was being
tailed. The abductors seem to have set in a well - planned manoeuvre for grabbing Sivaram.
One thing that is puzzling police sleuths is the reason for the killers to bring Sivaram to Kimbula - ela
and shoot him. They could have simply killed him at Bambalapitiya itself. If the motive was to abduct
him and torture him for "information" that was not done. What then was the reason to abduct him in a
crowded place like Bambalapitiya and kill him in three hours at a different place.
Even assuming it was a revenge killing it could have been done at Bambalapitiya instead of
elsewhere. The Karuna faction infuriated by what they consider is a betrayal by Taraki could have
committed the murder. Hardliners within the security establishment could have done it to convey a
strong signal to pro - tiger elements that being supportive of the LTTE while living in Colombo or the
South was not going to be tolerated. It could also be a collaborative effort of both the Karuna faction
and security hawks.
Another suspicion is that the murder had to do with the case of the missing Police Inspector.
Inspector Jeyaratnam a well - known counter - subversive sleuth responsible for nabbing many tigers
in the past went missing a week before Sivarams death. The incident has all the hallmarks of a tiger
abduction. Moreover Jeyaratnam was always a LTTE target.
The Jayaratnam incident has aroused much resentment within Police and Intelligence services
sector. There was a protest demonstration by the rank and file from Vajira road to Kollupitiya where
the Sri Lanka Monitoring Commission office is situated. There is a possibility that some "people"
could have abducted Sivaram in revenge and killed him. Again the question is why not kill him on the
spot instead of taking the trouble to transport him elsewhere.
This gives rise to the possibility that Sivaram was taken initially perhaps as a "hostage" to barter for
Jeyaratnam. There may also have been a plan to transport him alive to a Karuna camp in the East.
The abductors may have acted on emotion and not thought things through. After the abduction was
over they may have got cold feet in carrying the exercise through. Even superiors who came to know
of this foolhardy attempt may have indicated that this move should be abandoned. Knowing that a
released Sivaram would not keep quiet the abductors may have finished him off.
Another possibility is that some hawks in the security establishment with connections to Sinhala racist
outfits could have done this. Sivaram may have been considered as a tiger agent. There have been
such allegations made before.Even recently Wimal Weerawansa of the JVP mentioned Sivaram 's
name publicly as being connected to the LTTE.
Besides The abduction style smacks more of a "southern" modus operandi. Even the call Sivaram
got at the time of his abduction could have been made by the kidnappers themselves to identify
Sivaram clearly and distract his attention. The killing is also reminiscent of that spree of killings
allegedly committed by some STF and military intelligence people in the early period of
Kumaratungas Presidency. The bodies of suspected tiger youths were dumped near waterways and
canals or into them.
Many people including the notorious Richard Dias alias Capt. Munas were arrested and charged.
Then they were released on bail. Thereafter to the eternal shame of Chandrika Kumaratungas first
government the Attorney - Generals Dept failed to follow through. They kept away from courts and
let the prosecution lapse through default. Subsequently all accused were released. Is Richard Dias
riding again in a new avatar?
The security - intelligence network has reason enough to be pissed off with Sivaram. Some of his
recent articles have been critical and contemptuous of their activity . He was particularly harsh on
what he termed as an intelligence fiasco in relation to the Karuna faction. Siva praised the tiger skill
in infiltrating the Karuna group and mocked the state intelligence saying that they were clueless
about who was LTTE in the Karuna group. This would be insulting to both the intelligence and the
Karuna faction. This plus Sivarams perceived closeness to the LTTE may have resulted in him being
selected as a target. It could have been a combined Intelligence - Karuna operation. In any case
Sivaram's perceived closeness to LTTE made him an object of harassment by the authorities in the
past.
If indeed the killing was done by a Sinhala hawkish outfit in the security - intelligence network with
links to a political organization then the reason for killing Sivaram may be a warning to those
suspected of being linked to the LTTE that they should end it or face consequences. The choice of
Jayewardenepura the political capital of Sri Lanka with its proximity to Parliament as the venue for
the killing becomes symbolic. Who knows what the assassins told Siva before shooting him? If this
possibility proves correct then this murder is a powerful warning signal. The danger is that more
killings of this type could follow.
The LTTE media is currently going to town accusing the Government. The LTTE has also accused
the state intelligence and paramilitaries (Karuna) of being responsible. The LTTE leader has also
cashed in on the situation and given Sivaram the "Maamanithan" (Great Person) award. The LTTE is
exploiting the murder to their advantage blaming the state and the anti - tiger Tamil groups and
factions.
While the Government condemns the murder it offers no defence to the charge of being responsible.
Some anti - tiger elements however are attempting to blame the tigers themselves. They argue that
recent writings of Sivaram had angered the LTTE. The "Maamanithan" ward is a deceptive ruse to
cover up guilt they say.
Some anti - tiger media have begun launching tirades against Taraki. Others allege that the killing
was a symbolic signal. This propaganda counter - offensive has very few takers. It is obvious to most
people that the LTTE though responsible for most killings of Tamils in the past was certainly not
responsible in this instance.
Sivaram in his personal and professional capacities may have earned enough enemies. His writings
or his failure to write certain things may have incurred the wrath of many. This however does not
give anyone the right to kill him. As a Journalist and as a human being he was entitled to his rights
and opinion. His murder was a despicable act and should receive the highest condemnation. If the
Government is to gain any credibility it must ensure that the guilty party is apprehended. Merely
issuing condolences will not be enough. Given the track record of the law enforcement authorities
this seems an impossibility.
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