A businessman named Sarath Kumara Namminge of Nedola, Kolonna, who had been missing for 4 days, was arrested by the Police while he was hiding in Nugegoda Delkanda area on August 19.
A mason who owned a small building materials store that helped him stay safe and a three-wheeler driver were also arrested.Kolonna Police stated that all three were remanded until August 24 after being produced before the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court on August 19.
The mason is from Rakwana and investigations have revealed that he is a friend of the businessman.Police say that he is a person who has even worked in the businessman’s tea leaf collecting vehicles.
The driver is a friend of the mason. Police say that he is a resident of Gangodawila.
The businessman was brought from Kolonna to Delkanda on August 16 in the same three-wheeler and the businessman gave them Rs.250,000.The money was also found by the Police.
This businessman disappeared on the morning of 16th after leaving home saying he was going to a bank in Deniyaya to withdraw money. He left home in his own van and he did not return home until evening. Since both of his phones were switched off, the frightened wife filed a complaint with the police that her husband was missing.
During the investigation by Kolonna Police, the businessman’s van was found near Anilkanda cemetery in Kolonna Cemetery.
Chilli powder was scattered on the driver’s seat. It seemed at first glance that the businessman had been kidnapped by attacking him with chilli powder. During the investigation, the Police officers found that the driver was not in the driver’s seat when the chilli powder attack had taken place.
Further investigations revealed that the businessman owes around eight million rupees to various people. Accordingly, Police officers suspected that this businessman had staged a false abduction to escape from the creditors.
It was revealed that he had gone to a bank in Deniyaya and had withdrawn of one million rupees from his bank account. Of that amount, 100,000 rupees each were deposited in the accounts of two debtors related to the purchase of tea leaves. An amount of 250,000 rupees was also credited to another borrower’s account.
Security camera footage of the town confirmed that he had gone to a store in the city with the rest of the money.
The problem that was brought to the Police’s attention was that there was no need to kidnap this person and if he was kidnapped, he would have been kidnapped with the van. It also became apparent that this businessman had disappeared by himself.
Even the mobile phones of this businessman were inactive at that time.
Kolonna Police obtained a detailed phone record related to his mobile phone numbers and started analyzing the phone record. As the police officers noticed a suspicious phone number there, they made a call to that number and started questioning him strategically.
The Police made a phone call to the businessman’s friend, the mason and questioned him on 18th evening. He was frightened by this call and by seeing the TV news that said Kolonna villagers were searching the forest for the businessman.
After that, he decided to tell the truth to the OIC of the Mirihana police. He understood that if he kept this businessman with him, he would be in trouble.
According to information, on the night of the 18th, the Mirihana Police OIC sent a team to Delkanda, arrested the businessman, his friend the mason and the three-wheeler driver and brought them to the Mirihana Police station along with the three-wheeler.
During interrogations, the businessman said that the other two abducted him and held him captive. Mirihana Police handed over these three to the Kolonna Police Station.
A special Police team from Kolonna came to Mirihana and took them to Kolonna. During further interrogation, the businessman said that he had staged the abduction to escape from the creditors.
The mason told that he had brought from Delkanda on the driver’s seat of the van. Investigations have revealed that the businessman stopped the van near the cemetery and poured chilli powder on the driver’s seat and came to Delkada in the three-wheeler.
The businessman and the three suspects were produced before Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court on August 19.
Police say that the villagers were nervous about the incident and if this businessman had not been remanded in custody, he would have been in danger from the restless creditors.
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