News
|
||||
Sivaram’s
final hour Sivaram, told his friend he had another meeting closeby and arranged to meet half an hour later at the Majestic City shopping complex. Kusal gave his cell phone number to Sivaram for easier communication with each other. "I decided to spend the time at the MC food court and went in to have a soft drink. While thus engaged another of my friends, Prasantha Ratnayake met me. It was an unscheduled meeting and he started chatting with me", Kusal Perera told The Sunday Times, when describing the events leading to Sivram's abduction and subsequent gruesome killing. Prasantha a Non Governmental Organisation co-ordinator and Kusal spent the next half-an-hour at the MC expecting Sivaram's call to come through at any moment, but even after some time as there was still no response from Siva, Kusal Perera used Prasantha Ratnayake's cell phone to send an SMS message to Sivaram asking for his whereabouts. Siva responded by telling Kusal to excuse him for another 30 minutes as he was held up with his appointment. "I decided to stay on with Prasantha. At that time the Ravaya editor Victor Ivan called me to say that Ravi Kumudesh, a health sector trade union member wanted to meet me", Kusal Perera said. "Soon after when Kumudesh called me I told him I will be at the MC for the next half hour. He said it would take him 45 minutes to reach Bambalapitiya and I said it was alright and that I would wait for him", Kusal said. "Fifteen minutes later Sivaram called me to say that he was now free to meet me and we discussed spending the evening over a drink. We decided to meet at the Bambalapitiya restaurant, located opposite the Bambalapitiya police station. I explained to him that I had another friend of mine coming along with me. He told me to proceed and that he will come over to the restaurant", Kusal said. As both Kusal Perera and Prasantha Ratnayake were nearing the restaurant Kusal had received another call from Sivaram inquiring about their whereabouts. Sivaram had said that he had already reached the restaurant and was waiting for them. "As we walked in we found Sivaram was already there. He welcomed us and I introduced my friend Ratnayake to him who was meeting him for the first time", Kusal Perera said. The three of them had then ordered some beer and carried on a conversation on a range of subjects including the media and their personal experiences in the field of journalism with Prasantha Ratnayake too chipping in from time to time. Ravi Kumudesh who wanted to meet Kusal Perera had then called Kusal from the MC and Kusal told him he was no longer there and asked Ravi whether he could meet him at the restaurant. Later, Kumudesh too joined the trio at the restaurant. As the evening wore on and having finished their round of drinks they decided to settle the bill amounting to Rs. 1,300 but later changed their minds and went on for a further round of drinks and ordered for more beer. At the time Sivaram made several calls to another journalist colleague of his inviting him too to join them. Siva too received four calls on his cell phone. "At around 10.20 p.m. we thought it time to call it a day and decided to leave the restaurant. Accordingly we walked out of the place. Ravi Kumudesh and Prasantha Ratnayake wanted to get back to Borella and decided to hire a three-wheeler. Having hailed a three-wheeler they left for Borella while Sivaram and I walked towards the bus halt intending to take a bus home", Kusal said. “As we were waiting at the bus halt I noticed Sivaram had received a telephone call and saw him walk a few yards answering the call. Meanwhile I was consentrating on stopping a bus. As I saw a bus approaching I looked towards where Sivaram had walked to alert him the bus was arriving. It was then I noticed two people standing close to a parked Intercooler jeep pulling and pushing Sivaram into the vehicle. I also saw a third person standing near the front door of the jeep. It did not take them long to bundle Siva into the vehicle as I was helplessly looking on", a sad and frustrated Kusal Perera said relating those dreadful moments about how Sivaram was abducted. He said the vehicle was an ash coloured jeep and it had sped towards Wellawatte. "I realized it was difficult for me to give chase to the vehicle and decided to get back home and alert as many people as possible. I knew that standing there will not be helpful", Kusal said. "I hired a three-wheeler and as I was proceeding home I received a telephone call from my friend Prasantha Ratnayake inquiring whether we had any problem. I told him of the frightening and unnerving experience we faced and inquired how he knew about it. Prasanna said as they were going to Borella their three-wheeler had to first go towards Wellawatte before finding an opening to make a U-turn and return along the road on the sea side. He said their three-wheel driver had seen the commotion on the opposite side of the road and told him about it", Kusal said. “I got back home and informed as many people as possible about the abduction", he said. “It was only the next day that I was shocked when I heard what had happened to Sivaram", Kusal Perera said. As Sivaram's friends and colleagues were looking for him, Siva's wife Bhawani had also received a call inquiring whether anything untoward had taken place at home. The caller inquired about Sivaram and the wife had explained that Sivaram had mentioned about going for a movie and that he would be late returning home. "It is not unusual for Sivaram to get late coming home and as such I did not take much notice. But subsequently I got a call saying Sivaram had been abducted. I immediately called my brother and with a few others went to the Bambalapitiya police station where I lodged a complaint", Bhawani said. Meanwhile at about 1.00 a.m. the Thalangama police had received an anonymous call saying a body had been dumped on the road side behind the parliament. Simultaneously the police emergency service 119 had also received a similar call. The Police arrived at the scene soon after. On Friday two restaurant employees confirmed to the Colombo Crimes Division that they had served Sivaram and his colleagues. CCD Director SSP Sarath Lugoda told The Sunday Times that statements of the two employees were among the statements recorded on Friday and investigations were proceeding. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
