Photograph Tamil Guardian

A man has been injured in Jaffna district on Sunday after police opened fire at crowds after locals intervened when police officers assaulted a pregnant woman who was trying to prevent her brother from being detained over a dispute between two families.

Around fifteen police officers arrived in the Uduthurai region looking to arrest a young man in relation to the dispute which had taken place the day before. When the officers realised the accused man was not at home however, they tried to detain his brother, forcing him into the police vehicle.

The man's pregnant sister intervened, trying to the stop the officers from taking her brother away, however the officers assaulted her.

Local residents who had gathered to observe what was taking place were outraged and condemned the police's actions against a pregnant woman.

As tensions rose between the locals and the police officers, the policemen opened fire towards the crowd, injuring the father of the man they had come to arrest.

According to locals, the police officers fled from the scene upon seeing that one man had been injured. 

The man, 56 year old Velan Sivapathasundaram, was admitted to Maruthangkeni hospital with injuries. He has since been transferred to Jaffna teaching hospital.

Tensions are high in the Uduthurai region however, as locals remain angered by the Sri Lankan police's actions.

According to the Sri Lankan police's media unit, the police officers were attacked by an axe when they opened fire.