Open warrant issued against LTTE ‘pitch invader’

3 July 2013 12:16 pm

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya today issued an open warrant to arrest Logeshwaran Manimaran who invaded the pitch at Cardiff Grounds in the United Kingdom (UK) carrying a 'Tiger' during the semifinals match on June 20, played between Sri Lanka and India in the ICC Champions trophy tournament.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya todayissued an open warrant to arrest Logeshwaran Manimaran who invaded the pitch at Cardiff Grounds in the United Kingdom (UK) carrying a ‘Tiger’ flag during the semifinals match on June 20, played between Sri Lanka and India in the ICC Champions trophy tournament.

The Magistrate issued an open warrant to arrest the suspect Logeswaran Manimaran alias Mohamed Raji, a British Citizen residing in the UK, for allegedly withdrawing cash from 10 ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) of several private banks in Sri Lanka by using fake credit cards.

He was alleged to have withdrawn money to the tune of nearly Rs. 3 million from the Hatton National Bank and the Commercial Bank.

The suspect was identified as the person who carried the ‘Tiger’ flag during the cricket match, after comparing the visuals recorded in the CCTV cameras fixed in the ATM cubicles.

After identifying the suspect the CID had questioned two other suspects, Ananda Ruban Kaladeepam and Balasubramanium Udyanan already in detained by the CID regarding the crime, who verified his identity.

They had told CID that Logeswaran Manimaran, the person who carried the ‘Tiger’ flag during the cricket match in Cardiff had come to Sri Lanka recently and executed the fraud.

CID Inspector D.A.M. Priyadarshana moved to court to issue a warrant for the suspect Logeswaran Manimaran’s arrest and have Interpol informed, as he had migrated to England and was absconding.

Magistrate Pilapitiya issued an open warrant to have the suspect arrested through Interpol and further inquiry was fixed for July 30.( TFT)