CID Begins Excavation in Thambiluvil Graveyard in Search of Missing Persons Including Ravindranath and Ekneligoda

02-Aug-2025

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Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on July 31 conducted exhumations at the Hindu cemetery in Thambiluvil, under the Tirukkovil Police Division, in search of the remains of former Eastern University Vice-Chancellor Prof. S. Ravindranath, journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, and 18-year-old student Parthipan—suspected to have been abducted and murdered.

This follows the arrest of former Eastern Provincial Council member and presidential coordinator K. Pushpakumar (alias Iniyabharathi) and his associate Saseendran Thavaseelan on July 6, in connection with the 2007 murder of former Tirukkovil Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Udayakumar.

Several of their associates were also arrested, including a former driver Senthooran, Vickneswaran alias "Toppi Manap" from Vinayakapuram, Balakrishnan Sabapathy from Welikanda, and Rameshkanna alias "Jude" from Batticaloa.

Investigations have revealed that student Parthipan (abducted in July 2009), Prof. Ravindranath (abducted on December 15, 2006), and journalist Ekneligoda (abducted on January 26, 2010) were allegedly murdered and buried in Thambiluvil.

Following this, the CID accompanied the suspects to the cemetery for site identification. Based on this information, the Akkaraipattu Magistrate A.L.M. Rizwan granted permission for excavation, which was carried out under his supervision.