by

Zacki Jabbar

The UNP yesterday expressed concern that the abduction syndrome had gripped Colombo once again with Sunil from Wanathamulla being the latest victim, but no suspects had been arrested even two weeks later.

UNP National List MP Eran Wickremeratne told The Island that Colombo DIG Anura Senanayake who had assured the Wanathmulla residents on February 15,2014 that Sunil’s abductors would be found had failed to deliver on his pledge.

“Sunil’s abduction is the first in Colombo since the end of the war. As opposed to the usual white van syndrome, he had been whisked away in a Red Pajero. It is a serious issue and the Colombo DIG Senanayake should resign if he is unable to find the abductors”, Wickremeratne said, adding that Sunil being found thrown out of a vehicle blind folded and arms and limbs tied on the same day,in no way lessened the seriousness of the crime.

MP Wickremeratne, quoting from an affidavit that Sunil had sworn in the presence of his lawyers, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and himself said, “We had a meeting in Wanathamulla on February 13,2014 with Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa a UDA Official and a Brigaddier. During the meeting, as the Secretary of the Wanathamulla Housing Protection Society, I objected to the raw deal that we were being given in lieu of our houses that were to be demolished.

I pointed out that not only had we to pay a down payment of Rs. 100,000 in two instalments within two weeks, but also to go into flats in which there was hardly any space for even a small family to move about. Two days later when I was travelling in my three wheeler taxi along the Baseline road flyover to purchase fish which I sold for a living, I was stopped by a Red Pajero close to the Dematagoda temple around 10.45 am.

A person came up to me and said that the man seated in the front seat of the Pajero wanted to talk to me. No sooner I got off, I was blind folded and bundled into the Pajero. I was taken to some place and put on a mat, given some food and then asked to do a wash. The abductors thereafter told me that I had a big mouth and alleged in a threatening manner that I was involved in drug dealings in 1980.

They also said that I should assume that I was born that day and consider myself lucky to be alive. Thereafter they blindfolded me again, tied by arms and limbs and bundled me into a vehicle.After driving for some time I was thrown out of the moving vehicle at a point between Biyagama and Sapugaskanda. When I shouted out for help, a passer by on a motorcycle came and set me free of the strappings round my body. The time was around 5.p.m. I then went to a house nearby and drank some water.Thereafter the motorcyclist took me home.”

Wickremeratne said that the residents of Wanathamulla had complained of the high handed manner in which they were treated with little or no respect and dignity. “I request the government to provide housing units not less than 750 sq. ft. to the Wanathamulla residents as they could not accommodate their families in smaller units.The replacement units built were more like prisons than houses.The down payment of Rs. 100,000 was a burden on low income families and it should be reduced,permitting them to make payment over 20 years. When valuable houses were being demolished the State should pay compensation and not the other way about.”
COURTESY:THE ISLAND