The Sri Lanka Guardian contact in Vavuniya was able to tracked down the unit currently operating in the Vanni. Our source said, the head of the unit is one Mohammed, a fair skinned medium height stocky man and he is named by Major General Hendawithrane as Ranjith to mislead his identity. Under Mohamed’s command, ruthless men are functioning, carrying out worst forms of human rights abuses on the victims.
Mrs Anita Annalingam’s gang rape and murder is the telling story that speaks volume of the violent nature of the Rajith group headed by Mohammed.
Sri Lanka Guardian also reported that: ‘We have photographic evidence of an individual who experienced repeated torture that included burning of his body and genitals with cigarettes and hot iron box and scars of beating with wire rods by Ranjith himself and his group. The person is physically disabled and cannot engage in any heavy work’.
The complaint made by this individual to the government Human Rights body did not result in any intervention, but the facts provided to them were passed on to the Ranjith Unit, resulting in the victim being put under further torture process for complaining to the HR body.
Our inquiry reveal Mohamed has been entrusted with the task of keeping a tab on Tamil residents in the Vanni area. Families connected to the former LTTE cadres and those cadres released by the government are under the watchful eyes of this group. Those identified as risky residents are kidnapped and taken away and their whereabouts kept secret. The clandestine nature of the Rajith group absolves responsibility of the army in their violent conduct.
