20 February, 2006 - Published 17:47 GMT

Trinco student killing report submitted

Police in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Trincomalee have submitted an interim report on killing five Tamil students allegedly by the security forces.

The report produced by Trincomalee police to magistrate Rama Kamalan includes eye witness accounts by two wounded students and 14 others.

Lohanadan Punkallohan, an injured student, told police that a “black ball” thrown from a three-wheeler taxi blasted in front of them while they were sitting in the beach with other friends, who were killed later.

He has felt like he lost a leg after the blast, according to the statement.

Thereafter a Sinhala group of 15 people wearing uniforms similarly to those belong Sri Lanka security forces took them into a jeep, beaten up and then released, Punkallohan has said.

The injured student has heard shooting minutes after he was released.

Another injured student, Kokularaja Pararajasingham, has made a similar statement.

Police are questioning 12 soldiers of Special Task force (STF) and one police officer in connection to the incident.

The magistrate postponed the ruling on the report for 27 February.