The victim in his statement to a daily newspaper stated that he was freed because of the intervention of the President and Gotabaya. He also added that in the same Van he was abducted there was another victim who was groaning in pain.
Hereunder is the newspaper report :
Senaratne who was abducted on the 26th night and released subsequently had stated that but for the intervention of Kumaranatunge aiyya , the President and Gotabaya he may not be among the living now.
‘After closing my business establishment at about 7.20 p.m. , I left for Hanwella with my driver in the cab. As we were heading towards Jubilee post junction , a white van followed us blowing the horn uninterruptedly. As we stopped the cab and tried to alight, those who came in the Van from behind , caught me by the neck and went pushing me and then into the white Van rear side and put me in a prostrate position with my face upwards. They did not allow me to talk a word.
When my driver screamed and came towards the Van , the inmates scolded and chased him away.
Later one abductor held me by the head , while another two held my legs ad thighs tight . When I tried to shout they shut my mouth and assaulted me. I could feel the Van was speeding towards a far destination while I was being assaulted.
While we were traveling there were two phone calls to the abductors . One of them was speaking with someone on the phone for a few minutes . They did not allow me to talk or look around.
From the time they forced me into the Van they were attacking me with their fists and legs demanding Rs. 500 lakhs from me. When I was telling them I don’t have so much money, they went on assaulting me. As a last resort I asked for an account No. They told me to give the monies without telling anyone about this incident. Yet they went on attacking me asking money.’
My driver following this abduction had phoned all the places and communicated this incident. Jeewan Kumaranatunge aiyya had toiled hard to get me released by speaking to the President and Gotabaya.
After traveling some distance I heard somebody groaning in pain in the Van. He was shouting , ’Buddhu ammo please save me. Please allow me to go’. One of the inmates then attacked him. I saw another person like a shadow in a similar position like me in the Van . I could not figure out who he was or what had happened to him.
After we have traveled a long distance , there was a call to an abductor. Soon after he said, ‘we will drop this fellow and go’. The Van suddenly stopped . They dragged me out of the van and gave a water bottle stating ‘ we will give the account No. over the phone. But when depositing the money don’t tell the police or any other’. ‘Now turn and look towards the wall for 15 mins.’ , they instructed me after dropping me near a wall . Then they got into the Van and sped off. When I looked around I found that I was at Wattala near a Hotel.
As I walked forward a bus came along. That bus was traveling towards Negombo. After alighting from the bus and as I was crossing to the opposite side an Airport- Fort bus arrived. When I had traveled two halts distance I saw a place where I could take a phone call.. I got down from the bus immediately and took a call to the Jaela police from that telephone call center and informed them of the incident. Within a few minutes , a police vehicle came to the place where I was , and took me to the station. After recording my statement , the Jaela police spoke to the Mirihana police on the phone. A number of vehicles from the Mirihana police arrived after about half an hour and brought me to Colombo.
My life was saved because of the tremendous efforts of Jeewan aiyya , the President , defense Secretary and the police who from the moment this incident occurred moved to get me released. I thank all of them.’ These were the details revealed to the newspapers by Sagara Senaratne.
From the above incident one can imagine what an unimaginably brutal and lawless reign now exists in SL. The present Idi Mahin’s regime of SL has even surpassed Idi Amin’s of Uganda of the past , in brutality , atrocity and criminality.
LeN