Youth kidnapped in Wariyapola

Youth kidnapped in Wariyapola

An incident is reported of a 20 year old son of a millionaire businessman who was involved in a wholesale business in Wariyapola area being kidnapped and the businessman was asked a large sum of money as a ransom.

The shop of this businessman was situated in the town of Wariyapola and it was just a short distance

of just 350 metres away from his house. This abduction had taken place day-before-yesterday (12) night when 2 of the businessman's employees were in the shop and the 20 year old boy had gone to bring them dinner and was travelling on his motor bicycle on his way from home at Third Lane, Malwatta Road, Wariyapola. 2 external employees and the businessman's sons also were involved in the father's business. When the abduction took place a white-coloured vehicle had blocked the motor cycle of the boy and after stopping had scared the 20 year old boy and had thus kidnapped him, a neighbour had given evidence.

After a short time the ransom-seekers who made a phone call from the mobile phone of the young man had managed to dial the boy's elder brother's number on which occasion they had threatened him telling him not to divulge anything to the police and to hand them 2 crores as the ransom money. Also if in case he did not agree, that they are prepared to kill his his younger brother, they had threatened.

This elder brother who got the jitters, then informed about this to his father and he had connected the line to his father at the subsequent call received by them.  The businessman had try to negotiate the deal by saying, "at this moment I can't give so much money". Later on he had been able to bring down the ransom money figure to 85 lakhs. It was after that the manner on handing over this sum of money ended up in a nonsensical talk. The ransom-seekers who gave the impression and behaved in a manner that the story had been leaked out to the police had mentioned various spots as to where this money could be collected. Thus they had made the abducted boy's son's elder brother who was to bring the said money, straying here and there.

Initially since it was informed that he is to come to a place called Mahakeliya, the brother had gone to that spot with the money on a motor vehicle. When the ransom-seekers were notified that he had arrived at Mahakeliya, they in return had told him "not there, come to 'Hathamunu Wewa". Accordingly he had then come to 'Hathamunu Wewa'. At that point he was instructed to proceed to Mahakeliya and to keep the monies near the timekeeper-box at the bus stand and to go away. In this way after proceeding to the said spot and leaving the money there and notifying the ransom-seekers, they had replied saying, "the job is cancelled .... we'll let you know of another time and date". The elder brother who was rendered helpless had thus returned home empty-handed. An attempt made to get the ransom-seekers on line once again had turned out to be futile.