Navy hierarchy was aware of abductions in Colombo, suburbs: CID

The CID today told Colombo Additional Magistrate Shehani Perera that the Navy Hierarchy including former Navy Commander Jayantha Perera and Intelligence Division Director Ananda Guruge had knowledge about the abductions that took place in Colombo and suburbs during 2009.

CID OIC Nishantha Silva also told the Magistrate that they were conducting further investigations on the matter.

Hence the Magistrate further remanded the suspect till April 4 as the investigations were pending

The CID had arrested the suspect, presuming the Navy’s involvement into abducting five students from Kotahena and six more from other parts of Colombo in 2008 to seek ransom.

The CID on receipt of information about a dismantled vehicle hidden in the Welisara Navy Camp believed to have been used by a victim had visited the camp to investigate whether there was a connection between the abduction of the eleven students and the dismantled vehicle,

During the investigations, the CID had been able to unearth the abduction of two Tamils who were travelling in the van bearing registration number WP PA 6023.in 2009 at Wellampitiya .Thereafter Lieutenant Commander Sumedha Sampath Dayananda was arrested by the CID over the abduction and forced disappearance of the two Tamil businessmen Loganathan and Rathnaswamy at Wellampitiya to collect ransom.

It was said that at the time of the abduction of these two Tamil youths they had been in possession of several gold sovereigns worth of Rs.2.5 million.

The CID going through Loganathan’s mobile phone IMEI had found out that the same phone had been used with another SIM card by S.D.S.S. Dayananda of Beruwala, Kalutara. This number had been used from January 15, 2009 four days after the disappearance of Loganathan.

Meanwhile, it has come out how the then Director Intelligence, Sri Lanka Navy Commander Ananda Guruge who is accused in the eleven students’ abduction in 2008 too was involved in this abduction as well, according to the ‘B’ report filed in Colombo Magistrate Court. According to Chitradevi, her husband had left home on January 11, 2009 with his cousin brother to visit a friend at Wellampitiya. But since he did not return home she had to lodge a complaint with the Kotahena police. (T. Farook Thajudeen)