Over 100 arrested in Jaffna for clash over ‘Grease Devils’

In Jaffna,the northern capital,around 102 people were arrested last night following a clash with the police.

The residents hurled debris at the police when they went to investigate alleged ‘grease devils’ roaming in the area of Navatturai,police said adding the mob set afire two police jeeps.

Police have issued warnings against rumour mongers who spread the monster story to put fear into public.

The Jaffna incident comes after a policeman was hacked to death in the north western town of Puttalam on Sunday.

The victim of the mob attack was on road traffic duty when he was attacked.

“It seems that some groups are getting organised who assault police and the security forces taking law into their hands. These people will be dealt with according to the law. They can’t take law into their hands and assault and murder people”,Lakshman Hulugalle,Director General,Media Centre for National Security,said.

So far the ‘grease devil’ phenomenon has cost 4 lives with scores being injured.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told his cabinet that he saw a conspiracy in the ‘grease devil’ story. He described it as a move to curb civil freedom in the new environment of peace.

The police here yesterday produced in court a man who was alleged to be behind the spreading of rumours that ‘grease devil’ was a government created plot.

The magistrate ordered him to be remanded till August 27.