Pillayan further remanded until September 15th

Former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias 'Pillayan', and another suspect have been remanded until the 15th of this month by the Batticaloa Magistrate's Court in connection with the shooting deaths of five individuals in the Kalady, Kattankudy, and Kannankudah areas of the Eastern Province.

The suspects, including Chandrakanthan who is named as the third suspect in the case, were produced before the court via Skype by the prison authorities. The suspect is also currently in remand custody regarding the assassination of the former Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University. Furthermore, the Criminal Investigation Department informed the court that the first suspect in these murder cases has already fled the country.

According to police information, the first incident took place on January 9, 2008, when a former police officer and another individual were shot dead with a T-56 firearm at the playground near the Murugan Kovil in Kalady. The suspects subsequently shot and killed two more individuals on the main street of the Kattankudy police division on May 22, 2008, and another person on the night of August 20, 2008, in the Kontiyapola and Kannankudah areas within the Vavunativu police division.

The Criminal Investigation Department has named three suspects in connection with these crimes, with the first suspect currently reported to be abroad. The second suspect has been subjected to further investigations while detained under the Criminal Investigation Department starting from August 13, 2025, and November 13, 2025, respectively. Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias 'Pillayan', is identified as the third suspect in these five murder incidents.