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Tigers release Bopitigoda at last

By N. Dilshath Banu

It has been a year-long wait but for the family of sub-inspector Bandujeewa Bopitigoda who was released from LTTE captivity yesterday, every minute had been worth waiting for, to be reunited with their loved one.

Bopitigoda:Free after a year

As soon as news of his impending release reached the family on Friday, his wife Disna and brother headed for Vavuniya. However his mother-in-law was the first to hear his voice when he called yesterday morning after his release.

“Bandujeewa Putha called in the morning and asked ‘where are our people?’ I replied they are on the way. I just didn’t have any words to talk but was so happy to listen to his voice and to think that he’ll be back home soon,” said his mother-in-law. For the Bopitigoda family the past year has been a nightmare which began on September 7.

SI Bopitigoda along with two of his colleagues who were hunting for a British paedophile became the hunted when they strayed into LTTE territory and were captured and detained by the Tigers.

The three policemen were accompanied by three male police constables, two female constables, a National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) officer and a driver in their attempt to trap a British paedophile in Mannar. All of them were in civvies trying to trace the movements of the man. They succeeded in getting closer to their prey and were collecting evidence, including some snapshots and video footage of the man molesting the children who accompanied him. Then the police team sought help from the Mannar Bishop to enter the LTTE controlled area. While they were planning to trap their prey, they did not realize that they had already entered LTTE territory.

Three of the policemen - PCs K.A.D Sarath and Dilup Hemantha, along with SI Bandujeewa Bopitigoda, were taken prisoner and taken to Kilinochchi.

“We had almost lost hope. On Thursday when we heard about Kilinochchi being attacked, Disna lost hope. NCPA officials said Bopitigoda will be released soon and asked us to be patient,” said Bopitigoda’s mother-in-law.

On Friday night, the Bopitigoda family prayed for a very long time.

“Yesterday morning, one of my brothers called and said he heard in the morning news that Disna’s husband was released. We checked with the NCPA and confirmed it. God has answered our prayers,” she said.

Media taboo for SI?

Meanwhile, Police prevented the media from talking to or photographing SI Bopitigoda yesterday when journalists gathered at his home in Negombo.

A police officer who was guarding the entrance of the Bopitigoda household told reporters that they got orders from “higher officials” not to allow SI Bopitigoda to talk to the media. Journalists had a similar experience when they tried to talk to SI Bopitigoda in the Anuradhapura Hospital as well as at Police Hospital.

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