4 year old Keshali abducted in Kurunegala -- Updates 3

Suspicion that child was abducted to give her as sacrifice, to dig Kuvenigala Treasure Main suspect Gamini's brick-kiln on fire .... when caught, villagers give good lambasting!

The small girl Pamara Keshani Bandara Wijekoon who was kidnapped from Wellawa, Kurunegala after being rescued last evening had undergone treatment at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital and was afterwards handed over to her parents. The main suspect in relation to the abduction, Illeperuma
Aarachchige Gamini was searched for by the police together with the assistance of the people in the area and after receiving information that he was fleeing on a bicycle  was found in Wellawa area itself and was taken into custody in a coconut estate and presently is in the process of making his confession.

There is suspicion that the reason for the abduction was carried out on a contract and that she was expected to be used as a sacrifice after killing her for the purpose of digging a treasure in the historical site in Kurunegala.

This main suspect Gamini who had come to be known as a 'Grease yakka' has been used to creep into houses and steal women's clothing, and it is learned that he has been arrested several times by the police for such activities.

He had on the night of the 9th of this month abducted this small child who had been sleeping in the company of her brother in the house and had later kept her in hiding in a jungle area known as Arangala Kanda for the first two days and on the third day had taken her to his house comprising of a brick-kiln and according to police, he had moved aside some wooden planks in the corner of a room and had hidden the child in an underground location underneath it.

On this occasion it was Gamini's brother and mother who had lent him a hand in this work. The child had in fact addressed Gamini's mother as 'Aaththamma'. It was understood that on the last day, the mother had fed the child with milk-rice, it is reported. There had been a house near Gamini's house where a Montessori was being conducted. The child confessed that on this last day, she had seen the Montessori children studying there through the gaps in the wooden planks and that although she had expressed her desire to go there to that Montessori, aaththamma had prevented her from doing so.

However, Gamini's brother had detested Gamini for hiding the child this way and it was understood that the two of them had got into an argument over this issue. Though these people were distant relatives of Keshani, it was said that they had not associated Keshani's family for sometime and that they were not on good terms with each other. From early morning itself Gamini's brother had objected in bringing the child and when he went to the kiosk closeby in the area around 3 p.m. he had told Nimal Mudalali who was there, "Malli has brought a child and is keeping her there. I of course don't like that sort of work".

Nimal after hearing this had gone to the house near the brick-kiln and made an inspection and thus was able to see the said child from afar. On this occasion, after informing the neighbourhood and the police, it was possible to rescue the small girl around 4.15 in the evening.

When the police arrived for the rescue operation, there had been a large crowd present in the village and they had surrounded the house and after a short while when Gamini sensed that his objective had misfired, he had fled the scene.

In the process, Gamini's brother and mother were taken into police custody. Subsequently, it was reported towards evening that the neighbourhood had set fire to Gamini's brick-kiln and the house as well, thus destroying everything.

After the police rescued the child, the neighbours had assisted in searching for Gamini while the latter had been hiding somewhere last night and had put up there. But on a tip-off received by the police, he had been pursued when fleeing on a push bicycle.

Later on he had managed to creep into a coconut estate near a bridge in Deegama area, all the while knowing that the police were on his tracks. Though he was hiding in that spot and had tried to make his way out of the area, because of hundreds of villagers accompanied by the police had by then arrived at the location, his attempt to make a getaway was foiled. Ultimately when he was nabbed, the villagers had surrounded him and started battering him mercilessly and the police who intervened had taken him away for questioning.

At this moment he is presently making his confession to the CID and the Media Police Office has still not released any official statement about the information.

However, according to information received about the abduction of the girl, there is suspicion that she may have been taken away to be given as a sacrifice or offering to dig the Kuvenigala treasure.

According to Sinhala historical stories, after Prince Vijaya had banished Kuveni and the two children, she had fled to Kurunegala area and had afterwards spent her time near Kuvenigala or Yakdessagala Kanda and had then jumped into a wewa, cursing Vijaya. In recent times, it was spread around that there are historical ruins as well as treasures around the area.

The hospital director spoke to the media about the child Keshani, the latter of whom went home from hospital this evening and said hat the child had not been subjected to any physical harm during the time she was kept as a victim. The Director further mentioned that though minor bruises were observed in the vicinity of her mouth and leg, he explained that those were caused by usual activities of running about and that no indications of any physical abuse nor harassment were detected as such.