Brawl involving Mervin's son at Night Club -- Updates

Minister's security among those who assaulted British couple ... at Bambalapitiya Night Club!

Two officers of the security of Minister Mervin Silva were found to have been among the attendant group of Malaka who had, it is said had assaulted the British couple by throwing them on the floor in the conflict that ensued
where they were involved with Malaka's son at Rythmn and Blues Night Club recently.

The officers concerned are police officers and the two of them including the said attendant individuals have disappeared by now.

When the situation is such, what the lawyers who appeared on behalf of Malaka in courts yesterday said was that it was only Malaka who was that was assaulted and the CCTV cameras may have been changed with the motive of covering up the issue.

Malaka was however not granted bail yesterday by courts at the hearing and he was ordered to be remanded once more. Malaka had got himself admitted to hospital saying that he had sustained an injury close to his nose and he is further detained under police protection.

While all 7 thugs who assaulted the British couple have vanished by now,the Colombo CID have launched a wide-scale investigation to take them into custody.

Police say that the manner in which the thugs mercilessly assaulted the British couple including the girl friend at Bambalapitiya Rythmn and Blues Night Club is clearly displayed on the CCTV cameras installed at the said Night Club.

Because of those scenes, the police have been able to identify the names and addresses of these suspects.

In the process, lawyers who appeared on behalf of Malaka Silva said in courts yesterday (4) that if the video tapes are retained in the possession of the police, the tapes could be mishandled and changed.

They then made a request to take the video scenes into the possession of courts and to produce it for investigations and that in this instance it is displayed on the video cameras that it is Malaka Silva who had been at the receiving end of the assault.

Mr. Neville Silva, OIC of Colombo Crimes Division responding in this instance says that, "My Lord ... nothing in this will change. Therefore,there's nothing to fear".

Malaka's lawyer, Mr. Jayantha Weerasingha said, "Malaka Silva did not assault anybody.  It was the 'sudda' who put him on the ground and assaulted him. For whose necessity is it that this investigation is being done by searching for those who were taken to the police after recording their statements?"

In the meantime the lawyers requested courts to refrain from holding the identification parade to identify the defendant. Since the defendant's photos have already been published across the media, by producing him at the identification parade, it could result in a biased situation for the defendant Malaka Silva, they argued.

At this point the Additional Magistrate refused bail to Malaka and instead ordered that the defendant be remanded till 11th. He also expressed that the defendant be produced at an identification parade.

The Additional Magistrate ordered the JMO, Colombo to forward a report on the health condition of Malaka Silva as the latter who says he is inured is undergoing treatment at the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital under police protection.