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Government Gazette

Case of the close circuit television set

These days even married couples are not safe from the prying eyes of sex perverts or peeping toms who lurk around at hotels or guest houses to satiate their sexual desires. It has become a common occurrence these days for waiters, room boys and sometimes outsiders to peep into rooms and watch couples in their rooms.

It used to happen in the good old days when room boys and waiters peeped through the key hole of a room where honeymoon couples spent their time. Couples were too naive to know what went on outside their door. But things have changed a lot and have become much sophisticated.

Last week it happened when a newly married couple had checked into a tourist guest house at Ambalangoda around 6.30.p.m. The man was a native from Ambalangoda who returned from the Middle East after a long stint. He earned substantial money having worked there.

His first priority after returning to Sri Lanka was to tie the nuptial knot with his sweet heart, a lass from Ambalangoda. But the girl's parents did not give their consent and vehemently objected to the marriage. Nevertheless the man was able to go ahead and marry his love amidst objections.

After marriage the couple checked into a tourist hotel at Ambalangoda on November 17 around 6.30.p.m. Having enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel the couple soon fell asleep in their cosy room and woke up around 10.30.p.m. While lying on the bed, and staring at the lamp on the wall, the husband had noticed something unusual.

He was curious to know what it was and walked up to the lamp. After discovering that some wires connected to a device that looked like a miniature camera affixed alongside the wall lamp, he went in to a tail spin.

By now he was in a rage and wanted an explanation from the hotel manager. He then raced into his room and demanded an explanation from him. But the hotel manager pleaded ignorance and denied any knowledge about it. The guest not being satisfied with his explanation then barged into the room adjoining his and found a man watching a Close Circuit Television (CCTV).

Obviously the man had been watching the couple on the CCTV screen. The man never dreamt for a moment that his clandestine activity would be discovered. Infuriated that he was a peeping Tom, the guest grabbed him by his clothes and assaulted him.

Thereafter he phoned his buddies at Ambalangoda and summoned them to the hotel. When four of his buddies turned up at the hotel he explained to them what had happened. The friends questioned the manager and learnt that the man who had watched them on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) was a sales representative dealing in electrical goods. Apparently he had installed the CCTV in the adjoining room in connivance with the manager to watch couples next door.

Thereafter the husband and his four friends set upon the manager and the sales representative and assaulted them further. They learnt that the sales representative was a man from Werangula in the Gampaha Police area.

It was at this stage the men abducted the sales representative along with an employee of the hotel. They took them to Batapola where the husband resided. The men also removed his luxury vehicle and his CCTV and video camera and cash to the tune of several lakhs of rupees. The men assaulted the sales representative again and demanded compensation for the humiliation the couple had suffered.

The sales representative pleaded with his captors that he was willing to settle the matter. He offered to pay Rs one lakh to the aggrieved party. But the husband insisted that he be paid Rs five lakhs to come to a compromise.

Thereafter the men forcibly took the sales representative before a lawyer and forced him to sign an agreement that he was willing to pay Rs five lakhs as compensation. Subsequently the rep was released on condition that he would honour the agreement. But the captors withheld his vehicle, CCTV and video cameras and cash amounting to several lakhs. The rep after he returned to his native place lodged a complaint at the Werangula police station about the robbery.

No sooner the Ambalangoda police began inquiring about the robbery, the husband who abducted the sales representative surrendered to the police along with the stolen items through a lawyer.

According to OIC, Crimes, Ambalangoda police, Inspector D. M. S. Shelton five persons have been arrested in connection with the robbery. Further inquiries are being made by HQI Ambalangoda, Chief Inspector Upual Nimini Ariyaratne.

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