No bail for 5 Sri Lankan policemen charged with Tamil students' murder

Colombo: A Sri Lankan court today refused bail to five policemen charged with the murder of two Tamil students and remanded them in custody till November 18.

The Jaffna magistrate rejected their bail petition and remanded them in custody for two more weeks.

On October 20, two students of the Jaffna University were gunned down by police in Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated Northern Province, prompting authorities to arrest five policemen.

The students were shot dead at a police checkpoint in Jaffna. Though police initially denied shooting the students, a post-mortem report found bullets in one of the bodies.

The killing had ignited large-scale protests in Jaffna.

President Maithripala Sirisena had ordered a special probe and compensation for the families of the students.

Several days later, at least two state intelligence officers operating in Jaffna were assaulted by members of the suspected Ava Group. This led to a police crackdown on the group with two being arrested.

The Jaffna residents complained that the group was responsible for large scale intimidation, extortion and attacks on individuals.

Minister Rajith Senaratne blamed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of being behind the group to create unrest in the north.

Gotabhaya, the then powerful defense ministry secretary, however has denied the accusation.