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Former Higher Ed. Min. SBD allegedly acquired Colombo 7 property on forged deeds
View(s):Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya on January 19 ordered the police to investigate a complaint that a house located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo 7, valued at over Rs 180 million, and gifted to the Colombo University’s Medical Faculty, has been acquired by former Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake using forged documents.
The two-storey house located at Hewa Avenue, Colombo 7, has been gifted by the owner, Dr Siva Chinnathamby to the Medical Faculty, after being given to Kumar Raj Chittranjan Nadarajah on life interest. Mr Nadarajah died on May 3, 2010, and valuable items in the house had gone missing on July 13, 2010.
A complaint in this regard has been lodged in 2011 by Dileepan Thyagarajah of Kynsey Road, Colombo 7, at the Cinnamon Gardens police, and following orders from the Inspector General of Police, the case was taken over by the Criminal Investigations Department on January 13, 2012.
Valuable items in the house, worth more than Rs 100 million, and in the custody of the Cinnamon Gardens police, have gone missing, the complainant has stated.
Lawyer from the distressed party said police intelligence have failed to find the missing antiquities and to arrest the culprits involved.
The Magistrate ordered the police to conduct immediate inquiries into the ownership of the house and the missing antiquities.
The owner had gifted the house with the land to the Colombo Medical Faculty, and the antique items to a next-of-kin, granddaughter Dhara Levers who is presently in the Cayman Islands. The complainant has been named as the caretaker of the movable assets, as the owner is overseas.
Among the missing antique items are two large tusks, a replica of Taj Mahal made of ivory worth Rs 25 million, a car worth Rs 3 million, antique furniture made of valuable wood, air conditioners and other electronic items, Persian rugs, 18th century paintings, statues and a large collection of clothes, the complainant has said.
Kandiah Neelakandan, of Neelakandan and Neelankandan, said, according to the last will, the house and land was to be used by Medical students.