Jaffna journalist Uthayarasa Shalin and five other residents of a Jaffna suburb have been summoned to Colombo by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID).
They have been summoned in connection with the display of a map of Eelam during a Hindu temple festival in Aanaikkottai, Jaffna recently. Along with the journalist, the other five, include members of the temple’s youth forum, administration members and a priest of the temple. They have been told to appear individually on different dates.
Journalist Shalin has stated that although he lived in the area he was not part of the temple’s administration or youth forum. The incident had sparked weeks of investigation and summons of Aanaikottai locals and temple board members, by several different divisions, including the Kankesanthurai Police Intelligence Division, the Manippay and Jaffna Police and the Koppay security forces.
Most recently, Jaffna Police said the investigation was closed after taking statements from the temple’s youth forum members and the temple’s chair and secretary, and warning the temple to not repeat such actions in the future.
However locals have said the fresh summons from the TID are aimed at intimidating the community.