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Bloody
mayhem at Bollywood show The show, which began in the backdrop of a protest by a group wanting it cancelled in the light of yesterday being the first death anniversary of their patron, Ven. Gangodawila Soma, was immediately called off after the explosion. Eye-witnesses saw a grenade being thrown from the audience towards the stage. It exploded between the stage and where special invitees were seated behind two barriers that separated them from the stage. The incident occurred around 11.20 p.m. A short while earlier, as the gala show was coming to a grand finale, some young people in the audience, and some organisers had crept through the barriers and sat on the turf closer to the stage. The two dead were identified as a 25-year-old just married girl from Ratnapura employed at the Taj Samudra Hotel where the performers were staying, and a 21-year boy from Hakmana who is a freelance photographer for the popular ' Wijeya' and ' Tharunaya ' newspapers. Both died instantaneously with the explosion. Most of those present did not realise the gravity of what had happened. Fire-crackers were being lit as the show was reaching its final lap with the Indian super-star belting away one of his famous hits. Among the injured was Rithu, the wife of former Indian cricketer and current commentator Ravi Shastri, one of the organisers of the event. She and one other were evacuated to the Apollo Hospital, while the others injured were despatched to the National Hospital in private vehicles and ambulances. An estimated crowd of over 20,000 people had come for the show - one of the biggest shows in recent history in the face of the boycott call from the Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya, an arm of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). Security was tight, but only certain sections of the audience were subjected to body-searches due to the delays in getting the crowd inside the Race Course premises after the incidents on the streets outside earlier in the day. Police tear-gassed protestors who began hurling stones at Police and people coming for the show. There were unconfirmed reports that Police also fired rubber bullets at those protesting, enraging them in the process. The show eventually began after the organisers had told the protest group, which included monk-MPs from the JHU, that they apologised for holding the show on the day of Ven. Soma's first death anniversary, and that they meant no disrespect. Fasting monks were asked to call off their fast by JHU front-liners after the apology was made. The protest was clearly targeted at the Race Course show. There was no protest at another musical event held, also yesterday, and shown live on television. Some private television channels made repeated telecasts during the whole of yesterday showing emotional scenes following the death of Ven. Soma last year. No arrests were made. The pin of the grenade has been found. The Colombo Crime Division is conducting investigations. State
TV alleges opposition hand Quoting unnamed police sources, Rupavahini also alleged that the group involved in the attack had earlier in the day met two leading monks of the JHU. The UNP's Kotte parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake told The Sunday Times he had not heard the Rupavahini report and did not wish to comment. |
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