* No medical signs of abduction, say police
* Party strongmen threatened me - buyer
* Complaint to satisfy the abductors
By Easwaran Ratnam and Sandun A. Jayasekera
Medical tests carried out on businessman Hemantha Nishantha are not substantial to indicate he was “abducted” as claimed by various parties, Police spokesman Jayantha Wickramaratne told the media yesterday.
DIG Wickramaratne said the police had not recorded the complaint as an abduction, as Hemantha’s relative who lodged the initial complaint said he suspected Hemantha was abducted as the latter failed to turn up at a location where they were to meet.The police spokesman said according to doctors, an abducted man would either have symptoms of fear or other forms of mental or physical harm. However, Hemantha reportedly did not have such medical signs, he said. “Even in the Kotahena case the boy was said to have gone with the suspects after he was told he would be offered a girl. So such cases cannot be termed as abductions,” the police spokesman added.
Main Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier charged the JHU was behind the alleged “abduction” of Hemantha Nishantha, who had reportedly purchased a vehicle from JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera.
Mr. Wickreamasinghe declared that subsequently JHU-backed Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka and JHU spokesman Udaya Gammanpila had visited Hemantha and allegedly threatened him to make a false statement at the Homagama Police saying he was not abducted. However, addressing a media conference at the party headquarters in Nugegoda on Sunday, JHU strongman and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said he and party Propaganda Secretary Udaya Gammanpila would file defamation cases against Ranil Wickremesinghe for the abduction allegations made against them.
Meanwhile, the businessman, who had purchased the vehicle through a friend of his, alleged yesterday that he believed the entire transaction was the work of Minister Champika Ranawaka and Central Environment Authority Chairman Udaya Gammanpila who had acted without the knowledge of the owner monk.
Munasiri Kankanamage Hemantha Nishantha who reportedly had purchased the vehicle said, “I believe that the Thera knows nothing about this. That is why Minister Ranawaka threatened me insisting that the vehicle be returned immediately”.
Fielding questions by the media yesterday at the Cambridge Terrace office of the Opposition Leader, he said while in custody he consented to return the vehicle for Rs. 5.2 million as he feared for his life, although he had paid Rs. 13 million for it.
Nishantha, a car dealer, had allegedly purchased the vehicle from another businessman whom he declined to name. He claimed he had obtained a bank draft to pay Rs. 12 million for the vehicle and that the transaction took place in January this year. The market value of the vehicle is Rs. 23.5 million.
He claimed that when he went to meet a friend at Maharagama he was abducted and taken to a house where Minister Ranawaka and Mr. Gammanpila had allegedly confronted him and said they would pay him only Rs. 5.2 million and allegedly threatened him with death if the vehicle was not returned.
Hemantha Nishantha claimed that he was assaulted by a thug when he attempted to call his brother to tell him of his abduction. He also said after his release he went to the Maharagama Police and lodged a complaint to satisfy the abductors. He also claimed that he lodged another complaint about his abduction at the Cinnamon Gardens Police but that as far as he knew no action has been taken on that complaint.
He conceded that he was ready to return the vehicle to the JHU if Mr. Ranawaka and Mr. Gammanpila were ready to pay the full amount of Rs. 13 million he had reportedly paid for the vehicle.
Daily Mirror
* Party strongmen threatened me - buyer
* Complaint to satisfy the abductors
By Easwaran Ratnam and Sandun A. Jayasekera
Medical tests carried out on businessman Hemantha Nishantha are not substantial to indicate he was “abducted” as claimed by various parties, Police spokesman Jayantha Wickramaratne told the media yesterday.
DIG Wickramaratne said the police had not recorded the complaint as an abduction, as Hemantha’s relative who lodged the initial complaint said he suspected Hemantha was abducted as the latter failed to turn up at a location where they were to meet.The police spokesman said according to doctors, an abducted man would either have symptoms of fear or other forms of mental or physical harm. However, Hemantha reportedly did not have such medical signs, he said. “Even in the Kotahena case the boy was said to have gone with the suspects after he was told he would be offered a girl. So such cases cannot be termed as abductions,” the police spokesman added.
Main Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier charged the JHU was behind the alleged “abduction” of Hemantha Nishantha, who had reportedly purchased a vehicle from JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera.
Mr. Wickreamasinghe declared that subsequently JHU-backed Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka and JHU spokesman Udaya Gammanpila had visited Hemantha and allegedly threatened him to make a false statement at the Homagama Police saying he was not abducted. However, addressing a media conference at the party headquarters in Nugegoda on Sunday, JHU strongman and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said he and party Propaganda Secretary Udaya Gammanpila would file defamation cases against Ranil Wickremesinghe for the abduction allegations made against them.
Meanwhile, the businessman, who had purchased the vehicle through a friend of his, alleged yesterday that he believed the entire transaction was the work of Minister Champika Ranawaka and Central Environment Authority Chairman Udaya Gammanpila who had acted without the knowledge of the owner monk.
Munasiri Kankanamage Hemantha Nishantha who reportedly had purchased the vehicle said, “I believe that the Thera knows nothing about this. That is why Minister Ranawaka threatened me insisting that the vehicle be returned immediately”.
Fielding questions by the media yesterday at the Cambridge Terrace office of the Opposition Leader, he said while in custody he consented to return the vehicle for Rs. 5.2 million as he feared for his life, although he had paid Rs. 13 million for it.
Nishantha, a car dealer, had allegedly purchased the vehicle from another businessman whom he declined to name. He claimed he had obtained a bank draft to pay Rs. 12 million for the vehicle and that the transaction took place in January this year. The market value of the vehicle is Rs. 23.5 million.
He claimed that when he went to meet a friend at Maharagama he was abducted and taken to a house where Minister Ranawaka and Mr. Gammanpila had allegedly confronted him and said they would pay him only Rs. 5.2 million and allegedly threatened him with death if the vehicle was not returned.
Hemantha Nishantha claimed that he was assaulted by a thug when he attempted to call his brother to tell him of his abduction. He also said after his release he went to the Maharagama Police and lodged a complaint to satisfy the abductors. He also claimed that he lodged another complaint about his abduction at the Cinnamon Gardens Police but that as far as he knew no action has been taken on that complaint.
He conceded that he was ready to return the vehicle to the JHU if Mr. Ranawaka and Mr. Gammanpila were ready to pay the full amount of Rs. 13 million he had reportedly paid for the vehicle.
Daily Mirror
owwa just politics bun
