Suspicious youth who came to Amaradeva funeral ceremony as a mediaman ... in police custody

Suspicious youth who came to Amaradeva funeral ceremony as a mediaman ... in police custody

There was a special mandapaya (pavilion) erected for media cameramen at Independence Square last Saturday where maestro Amaradeva's funeral was conducted. It was about half an hour before the ceremony was to commence that all leading media cameramen had been present with their equipment to cover the proceedings. As usual since on other media gatherings this group of cameramen was to meet each other, they were

engaged in a chit-chat and had started their duties when a new face in the form of a cameraman had accessed this place after a few moments the ceremony had begun.

What the comrade cameramen had thought was that he could be someone who had newly joined some media institute. His comrades were watching their newcomer who happened to be looking around and all the while keeping silent and then pulling out his equipment. Taking his camera into his hand he had proceeded to click photographs right round which then aroused their suspicion.

In the meantime all other mediamen had been involved in using their digital cameras and they realised that the newcomer alone was using a camera where the old system of inserting film rolls was adopted by him alone. Since he was presumably a suspicious character who had climbed the mandapaya on an occasion where the President and the Prime Minister too were present, they took steps to inform the security personnel and the latter promptly arrived on the scene and had requested for the suspect's media identity card after checking him and it was seen that he did not possess such an identity. Under these circumstances the security took steps to arrest him and hand him over to Cinnamon Gardens Police Station.

On interrogation he had revealed that he was a resident of Gunananda Mawatha, Kotahena; that he was a fan of Amaradeva and that he had served with a music group. Whatever it is, the reason why he happened to appear at that location as a mediaman is not known. Further inspection on photographs he had taken are underway and he is expected to be produced before courts.