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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sundaram Sri Sabaratnam (Tamil: சிறி சபாரத்தினம்; 28 August 1952 – 6 May 1986) was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.
Sri Sabaratnam | |
|---|---|
சிறி சபாரத்தினம் | |
| |
| Born | 28 August 1952 |
| Died | 6 May 1986 (aged 33) |
| Other names | Tall Sri |
| Years active | –1986 |
| Organization | Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization |
Sabaratnam was born on 28 August 1952.[1] Whilst in government custody between 1972 and 1975, his jailer nicknamed him "Tall Sri" to differentiate him from another Sri in custody.[2]
On 25 March 1981, a People's Bank van returning to Jaffna after collecting cash in Vadamarachchi was robbed of Rs. 8 million on the Jaffna-Point Pedro Road in Neervely.[3][4] N. Thangavelu (alias Thangadurai), S. Yogachandran (alias Kuttimani), Selvadurai Sivasubramaniam (alias Devan), Navaratnarah (Nadarajah) Sivapatham (alias Sivapalan Master) and Vythilingam Nadesathasan (Nadesudasan) were arrested and charged in connection with the robbery.[5] Sabaratnam was charged in absentia.[5] The trial at Colombo High Court commenced on 2 November 1982 and on 24 February 1983 all six defendants were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.[5][4][6]
Sabaratnam became leader of TELO after the killing of Thangathurai and Kuttimani during the Welikada prison massacre in July 1983.[7][8][9]
In April 1986, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) banned TELO and set about killing its leader Sri Sabaratnam.[10] Sabaratnam went on the run, fleeing from TELO's main base in Kalviyankadu to Neervely, then to Kopay and finally to Kondavil.[11] The LTTE found out that he was in Kondavil and they, led by Kittu, cordoned off the area and started a house-to-house search, using loud hailers to warn local residents not to shelter Sabaratnam.[11] On 6 May 1986,[a] the LTTE discovered Sabaratnam in a tobacco field and Kittu shot him in the leg to prevent him escaping.[10][11][12] Sabaratnam pleaded with Kittu for his life, but Kittu shot him 28 times using a machine gun.[10][11] Sabaratnam's bullet ridden body was displayed at Kondavil bus stand before being handed over to his family.[10][11]
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