Aava group leader, Sathyavel Nathan Nishanthan, alias “Nisha Victor,” was sentenced to one and a half years (18 months) imprisonment by the Mallakam Magistrate yesterday. This is for escaping from police custody.
Victor who was arrested in connection to a number of cases in Jaffna including sword attacks against police in the Kopay area in Jaffna, was given bail on Wednesday (15) by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.
He escaped from police custody when he was brought to the Mallakam court on November 17.
The police, however managed to arrest him after a few hours search.
Northern Province Senior DIG Roshan Fernando said 81 suspects have been arrested in the past few days to control the sword attack incidents in Jaffna.
He further said that six of them were remanded and the rest were released on bail. Seven motor bicycles that belonged to the six suspects who were arrested are under police custody.
The Senior DIG said that the investigations are in progress and a special police team had been deployed in the area to arrest suspects over the sword attacks.
The Law, Order and Southern Development Ministry in a statement to the media yesterday also revealed that two main suspects of the Aava gang have been arrested by the Police Special Task Force (STF).
STF personnel, on a mobile operation conducted in the Neerveli Point Pedro had stopped a three wheeler on suspicion at an emergency road block. Upon searching the vehicle, they found an illegal knife and another illegal knife was found on their person by the STF.
When their mobile phones were checked, the STF also found pictures of the two suspects posing with the swords.
Investigations have been launched to arrest all members attached to Aava and all efforts are being taken to suppress this criminal gang.