More than 120 people were arrested by Sri Lankan police yesterday after violent clashes erupted between protesters and police outside a court over the alleged gang rape and murder of a schoolgirl.
Police resorted to lobbing teargas shells to disperse violent protesters who were demanding the highest punishment to be meted out to the nine suspects who were arrested by the police over the incident, Xinhua news agency reported.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunesekare said that six police officers were injured in the clashes.
The body of the 17-year-old schoolgirl was discovered in Pungudutivu, an island located 30km off Jaffna, last week after the police launched a manhunt following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents.
Police searched the residence of a suspect and found bloodstained clothes, leading to widespread protests in Jaffna on Tuesday and yesterday.

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