Lankan priests attack unabated, one assaulted in Chennai

Chennai, March 18: Days after a Sri Lankan

was

at Tanjavur, suspected pro-Tamil men today assaulted another priest at the Central railway station here.

Police identified the victim as Bandara (33) and said he was part of a group of Sri Lankan pilgrims, who arrived here enroute to Colombo after visiting various holy sites including Gaya. The Buddhist priest in saffron robe was repeatedly assaulted by unknown persons, police said, adding, cases had been filed under different sections of IPC including "voluntarily causing hurt."

The assailants had fled the spot and a hunt had been launched to nab them.

The incident comes in the backdrop of surging emotions in Tamil Nadu over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue following pictures showing slain LTTE chief V Prabakaran's 12-year-old son allegedly being killed in cold blood.

On Saturday, a Buddhist priest from the island, pursuing archaeological studies in Delhi University, was roughed up by some activists of pro-Tamil outfits at the famous Big Temple in Thanjavur prompting police to arrest 12 persons in connection with the incident.

PTI