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The family of a 17-year-old Tamil boy killed in a police shooting in Allaipiddy, Jaffna, has reported ongoing intimidation, raising concerns over their safety and the integrity of the investigation.
Relatives of the victim, Albino Arul Pius, state that unidentified individuals have followed and threatened them in the weeks following his death. The allegations were presented before the Kayts Magistrate’s Court through legal counsel, as proceedings into the fatal shooting continue.
According to the family, on March 10, two individuals on a motorcycle followed them in what they described as a threatening manner. A separate complaint has been lodged with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), supported by photographic and video evidence.
Following the complaint, HRCSL Jaffna regional coordinator T. Kanagaraj instructed the Jaffna District Superintendent of Police to investigate and submit a report. As part of this process, the boy’s mother was summoned on April 1 to provide a statement to the Assistant Superintendent of Police overseeing the Kayts division.
Concerns have been raised, however, over the involvement of the same police division linked to the original shooting in examining the intimidation allegations. The family and their representatives have called for the inquiry to be transferred to an independent unit, suggesting officers from another division or the district’s Crime Prevention Unit.
The shooting took place on February 10, when police opened fire on a vehicle in Allaipiddy, stating that it had failed to stop when ordered. Arul Pius, who was inside the vehicle, was killed in the incident.
Lawyers representing the family have previously expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the investigation into the shooting, particularly by Kayts police and the Jaffna District Crime Division. Following submissions made in court, investigations into the killing were subsequently handed over to the Colombo-based Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
