Questions have surfaced in mainstream and social media regarding the age of Ayoobraj Arul Payas, a minor who was shot dead in Allaipiddy, Jaffna. The discrepancy has now escalated into a matter of concern for the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL).

Following the incident, a news report titled “Was the person shot by police a minor or a youth?” was published in the Virakesari newspaper on Friday the 13th. The report alleged that the police statement regarding the victim’s age contained factual inaccuracies and asserted that the deceased was, in fact, a 17-year-old minor.

However, the official report released by the police maintains that the individual shot was 19 years old.

As this controversy gained momentum, FactSeeker decided to investigate the veracity of these claims. Upon reviewing the official media releases issued by the police on the 10th and the subsequent day, the 11th, it was observed that two different sets of information regarding the age of Ayoobraj Arul Payas were provided.

Despite this, several Sinhala and Tamil media outlets reported him as a 17-year-old minor, basing their stories on the initial media release issued by the police on the 10th.

When FactSeeker inquired with the Police Media Division, they insisted that the deceased was a 19-year-old youth.

To resolve the discrepancy, FactSeeker contacted the relatives of Ayoobraj Arul Payas and examined his Birth Certificate. The document confirms he was born on September 11, 2008. Accordingly, his actual age at the time of death was 17 years and 3 months, confirming his status as a minor.

Furthermore, an analysis of the post-mortem report revealed that Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Rudrapasupathi Mayodaran, in his report to Magistrate M.N.N. Husain, identified the age of the deceased as 17 years.

Additionally, the funeral banner displayed during Ayoobraj Arul Payas’s final rites clearly indicated his birth and death dates, supporting the claim that he was a minor.

Conclusion:
While there are contradictions between the two reports issued by the police, the final age of 19 years confirmed by the police is incorrect. Based on the birth certificate and the official post-mortem report, it is confirmed that Ayoobraj Arul Payas was 17 years old at the time of his death.