Mahen Ratwatte allegedly attacks Gypsies' Sunil in hotel toilet
By Chirstopher Kamalendran
One of Sri Lankaís most popular entertainers and Gypsies lead singer Sunil Perera was brutally assaulted in a five-star hotel toilet allegedly by a Ratwatte son early yesterday.

While former PA strongman Anuruddha Ratwatte and his sons, Lohan and Chanuka, are indicted over the Pallethalawinna massacre, another son Mahen Ratwatte moved into the spotlight of violence in the latest of five-star hotel brawls.

According to Gypsies star Sunil's complaint to Fort Police, the toilet attack on him had taken place around 2 a.m. soon after he sang the popular baila songs "Me Rate Minissu Nitarama Kelinne Pissu' and 'Signore". The bailas refer to politicians and ridicule their way of life. According to those who were at the Friday night Hilton dance of the Tea Traders Association, the Gypsies star had added impromptu lines about politicians who were taken in helicopters to face murder charges.

After his performance while Sunil was serving his dinner, an unidentified person had come to him and led him to the toilet where the alleged assault took place. Singer Sunil told The Sunday Times that members of the dance organising committee who came to the scene had told him the person who assaulted him was Mahen Ratwatte.

Colombo Central SSP D .P. L. Dissanayake said they had recorded statements from hotel security officers and had tried to contact Mahen Ratwatte, but could not. He said they were acting on a complaint made by Sunil Perera that he had been assaulted by Mahen Ratwatte.

Mahen Ratwatte had been among those questioned by the CID in connection with the killing of Tamil Congress leader Kumar Ponnambalam.

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