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| Sunday, 23 October 2005 |
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Alleged rape of passenger : Five BIA security officers nabbed Crime Sunday by Jayampathy Jayasinghe How safe is our premier airport, the Bandaranike International Airport (BIA) especially for poor rural women who migrate in thousands daily to the Middle East countries to bring back the much needed foreign exchange to the country. A fortnight ago a mother of a three year old was allegedly raped by several employees at the BIA. No body knows for sure whether similar incidents have happened in the past where victims usually do not complain due to fear and ignorance. She was a poor woman who came from a rural background in Kurunegala. Married with a three and half year old child and her husband without a proper job she found it difficult to eke out a living in her native village. So like what most women do these days she applied for a menial job in Kuwait through a job agency and was fortunate enough to be selected. She was due to leave Sri Lanka on October 11 to take up an appointment as a domestic help. She was so happy to go abroad for several reasons, to escape pangs of hunger and to get to away from misery that she was accustomed all throughout her life. Born and bred in a rural village, she seldom left her native village. It was her maiden trip abroad and was thrilled about it. So she decided to leave Kurunegala early that day just to be on time at the Bandaranike International Airport (BIA) to catch the UAE flight to Kuwait. She arrived at the BIA on October 11 around 2.30 a.m. much earlier than other passengers and remained seated in the passengers lobby downstairs. A hawk eyed security officer on duty at the airport spotted the lonely village woman seated all by herself in the lobby with out a consort. Having approached her, he started a cordial conversion and soon befriended her. In the course of the conversation he learnt that she was due to fly to Kuwait to take up an appointment as a house maid. Her flight was scheduled in the morning around 7.30.a.m. There was plenty of time left around so the security officer invited her to a room upstairs on the 2nd floor of the terminal building for some refreshments. The woman accepted his invitation and accompanied him there. Soon four other men all employees of the Air Port joined her in the room. One was a security officer and the rest were employees from a private cleaning company. According to police sources, the woman was offered a glass of water by one man and the next thing she remembers was waking up around 4.30.a.m. She was in a state of shock when she found lying on the floor. To her horror and embarrassment she found that her underwear has been removed, and it was lying on the floor. Being a timid village houeswife she felt terrified and humiliated at that stage to lodge a complaint of rape as time was running out. She had to board the plane in a few hours time. The pot of gold she dreamt on the other side of the rainbow was all shattered now. But she summoned all her courage and was determined to make the trip. However on the following morning around 7.00 a.m the security officer who first made overtures to her helped her board the bus from the departure lounge that took her to the plane. Finally the UAE bound flight left for Kuwait around 7.50.a.m. The woman after arriving in Dubai was taken to the residence where she was assigned as a domestic help by job agency. After remaining in Dubai for a few days she complained of sickness to her employer and was sent back to Sri Lanka on October 16. After arriving at the air port she made a complaint at the Police Post at the Bandaranike International Airport (BIA). Soon the matter was brought to the notice of DIG North Western Range, Asoka Wijetilleka who ordered the SSP Negombo P.S.K. Vitharana to conduct a immediate inquiry into the incident. While being interrogated by the Police, she was told by the police to show the room where she was allegedly raped. The woman without any help from the airport staff took the policemen to the room on the second floor of the Terminal building where she was allegedly gang raped by five men. A police officer told the Sunday Observer that a rural woman who was not at all familiar with the geography of BIA wouldn't have been able to lead the policemen to the exact room where the incident took place. Meanwhile the Negombos' Judicial Medical officer (JMO) who visited the room had found incriminating evidence such as a poodle of woman's hair among other things. At the inquiry it was revealed that only Security officers at the BIA had access to this room. Subsequently the BIA Police arrested the five suspects and was produced before the Kanuwana Magistrate who remanded them till Octocer 28. An identification parade has been fixed on this day. DIG North Western Ranage Asoka Wijetilleke when contacted by the Sunday
Observer said that an impartial investigation into the incident will be
conducted to bring the perpetrators to justice. The police will not hesitate
to arrest and prosecute any person committing such henious crimes, he said. |
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