Leader Journalist Shot
By Easwaran Rutnam
Faraz Shauketaly, a journalist attached to The Sunday Leader newspaper was shot at by unidentified gunmen at his house in hotel road, Mount Lavinia late on Friday night.
Police media spokesman SSP Priyashantha Jayakody said that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was investigating the incident and they were confident of making a breakthrough in the investigations soon.
Mohan Samaranayake, the spokesman for President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said that the President had instructed the police to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The attack on the investigative journalist of the newspaper came just weeks after some men had visited his house and asked if he was there in a threatening manner. A domestic in the house had told the men that Shauketaly was away.
Shauketaly was shot on Friday night by three men who had entered his room located on the top floor of his house, which was also a gust house for tourists.
The attack seemed to have been well coordinated as the would-be assassins were well aware of exactly whereabouts of Shauketaly at that time.
Eyewitnesses said they saw three men running away from his room following the shooting incident. Shauketaly received bullet injuries in his neck and was rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital.
A group of foreign tourists who had just checked in a day earlier said they heard a commotion and screams and when they opened the door leading to Shauketaly’s room they found blood all over his body.
“We then realized what had happened and got his car keys and rushed him to hospital,” one tourist said.
Doctors at the Kalubowila hospital said that shrapnel from the bullet had got lodged on his lower neck close to the shoulder.
Shauketaly was later transferred to the Colombo National hospital and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) yesterday.
Director of the National Hospital Dr. Anil Jayasinghe said that tests were carried out on Shaukatally last morning as the object believed to be part of a bullet was still in his body.
However by last evening the shrapnel had been removed from his body and he was recovering well.
“His condition is stable but we need to observe him and carry out more tests on the object in his body,” Dr. Jayasinghe told The Sunday Leader.
The Mount Lavinia police visited the scene of the crime and also recorded statements from eye witnesses and journalists of the newspaper.
He is a wonderful journalist.Who goes about his work with respect. Who ever who did this to this human being is a coward and should be eliminated from this earth.May “Alla’s blessings be with him.I wish him good health and Franz you are a hero.We need people like you in Sri Lanka.
This is a serious attack once again on an outstanding journalist. When will this stop.?
Sri Lanka is unfortunately now known worldwide for its fear of a free press.
Political leaders should wake up.
This is how government practising “Free Media”.
So without his excellencies order shootings go univestigated?? Miracle of Asia it is.
The call to “investigate” – is it code for “Nothing should come out of it and no body should be arrested” like in many other cases such as the murder of Mr. Lasantha.
This may not be an incident involving ShaukatAli as a journalist alone. As he is in the good books of the Rajapaksha Clan and a successful Businessman, this threat to is life cannot be connected to Journalism. Because if had been a Government ochestrated afair , novice gunmen would not have been engaged to shoot Shauakat Ali. Business rivals would have engaged cheap and Inexperienced novicies for the shooting. The Police will definitely round up the culprits since in this instnce rarely, they are not state sponsewred vultures. Thanks his life is spared . Insha Allah .
A failed state with thugs at the helm; it is a killing field and a cess pool.
Hope the UN and West act as India is aiding and abetting the Genocide of Eelam Tamils and now Muslims.
ps
Fredrics .J was lucky to jump ship before becoming statistic.