|
|
|
| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Four abducted Shot dead by Jayampathy Jaysinghe
A uniformed police officer standing besides a Police Patrol Car informed us that bodies of four people were found inside the vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning. All four of them had been shot through their heads after being blind folded and hands tied behind them. The bodies were removed to the Judicial Medical Officers (JMO) Colombo for an autopsy examination. There were several bullet marks on the side door of the vehicle. The Sunday Observer spoke to the Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana who was at the JMO's office in Colombo. Governor Moulana said that a former Kandy Provincial Council Member Rauff Hadjiar and his brother had come to his office around 4.15. p.m. Friday and had complained that their brother M.T.F. Ameen and three other persons were abducted from the Pusselawa mosque after noon prayers. Several persons in police uniform who arrived at the mosque in a Dolphin Van had bundled them into the vehicle and driven off. The four persons included a 19-year-old school boy, Other persons abducted were the former Kandy Provincial Council Minister Hadjiar M.T.F. Ameen, the driver, and a worker at a tea factory. Some persons who witnessed the incident had followed the Dolphin van up to Warakapola but lost sight of it thereafter. "When it was brought to my notice, I immediately contacted the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and told them to inquire whether they had taken the four persons for questioning. Thereafter I gave several calls to the CCD but did not receive a favourable reply", said Governor Moulana. In the meantime he had informed IGP Chandra Fernando who gave an assurance to investigate the case. Former Provincial Councillor Rauff Hadjiar said that his brother had several enemies but could not blame anybody until the police unravelled the mysterious killing. At the time of writing the IGP was not available to get his comment. DIG Colombo, Pujitha Jayasundera said the OIC (Crimes) Cinnamon Gardens Police station whilst on night rounds on Saturday morning around 2.30.a.m. had noticed the Toyota Land Cruiser parked behind the SLIDA Institute at Malalasekera Road. He had peeped inside the vehicle and found four bodies in the back seat. "We all were at the scene around 2.45 a.m. after the OIC alerted all police stations in Colombo. The Chief Magistrate, Colombo Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena too visited the scene of the crime immediately," the DIG said. When asked about the motive of the killing, DIG Jayasundera said they are investigating whether it could be the work of an underworld gang over a tea deal. He said there was suspicion regarding the abduction as it had taken place at Pussellawa around 2.30 a.m. But a complaint had been made at the Gampola police station around 10.30 p.m. DIG further said that they suspect the four persons were shot elsewhere and their bodies were later brought to Malalasekera Mawatha Colombo 7. The investigations into the killing have been handed over to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and the Criminal Investigation Department on the directions of the IGP, Chandra Fernando. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
The bodies of four persons abducted from a mosque in Pussellawa were
found in Colombo 7 with gun shot injuries yesterday morning. By the time we
arrived at Malalasekera Mawatha Colombo 7 around 10.00 a.m. there was a
crowd including several persons in police uniform surrounding a Toyota Land
Cruiser jeep bearing the number plate 65-3636. 
