Rapists Further Remanded

Niranjala Ariyawansha

Three identification parades have been held so far into the complaints where a  group of businessmen had repeatedly raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl at several guest houses in Tangalle. The parades were held on the 10th, 13th and 17th of July and seven suspects have been identified by the victim.
A policeman from Tangalle, who not did not want to be named said that investigations had revealed that 17 of the 22 suspects held in remand had raped the school girl. But the girl had been able to identify only seven of them.
Recall that this schoolgirl from Hakmana ran away from home on the 6th of June after an argument with her father and ended up in Tangalle Town to fall into the clutches of these businessmen who held her for days in guest houses repeatedly raping her. This child is at present in a childrens home in Galle under the care of the Child Protection Authority.
Meanwhile the wife of Municipal Councillor Anjana Liyanage who is in remand over this incident received an anonymous telephone call soliciting a bribe of Rs 10 lakhs in order that he be not identified at the parade. The person who solicited this was arrested on his way to collect the money and has been remanded. This was revealed by the Police spokesperson Ajith Rohana.
“The person who solicited the  bribe from the wife of suspect Anjana Liyanage had made this call from within the remand prison. But it was another who came to collect the money. The SSP of Tangalle was the first to receive this information. It was conveyed to the Hungama Police. The police had advised that the bribe be reduced to Rs 4 lakhs and when this amount was being taken the suspect was arrested.”
In the meantime the relatives of the neighbour ‘Anura’, also remanded for raping both girls in the family, had threatened the victims’ family. The wife of Anura and his mother had confronted the victim’s father and threatened them that once Anura was released none of them would be spared.
They have been threatened with death. The father had complained to the Matara Police. The elder girl who was also raped by Anura is also to be brought under the care of the same home where her younger sister in now being taken care of.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Akuressa Pradaysheeya Sabha Liyanage Sunil has been further remanded till the 30th of this month. He was arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl in Akuressa. His brother-in-law Priyanga Indunil Wickremesinghe too is in remand for raping the same girl. On July 17 this case was taken up in court and the Police revealed that Liyanage is suspected of raping three girls all of whom were under 15 years of age. Further investigations are continuing.