Family members of the Indian national who has been arrested over an alleges assassination plot on President Maithripala Sirisena confirmed that he had been suffering from a mental illness since 1997.
Sirisena
The Indian High Commission too previously stated that the Indian national was not of sound mind. However, at last Cabinet meeting President Sirisena had reportedly stated that RAW, the Indian intelligence agency, had orchestrated the assassination plot.
“This is a fabricated case. My elder brother is a victim of political insecurity in Sri Lanka,” the 52-year-old brother of the man who has been identified by Sri Lankan authorities as M Thomas has told the Indian Express newspaper.
Thomas was arrested from the home of a self-styled Sri Lankan anti-corruption activist and a former employee of the Presidential Secretariat, Namal Kumara.
The brother said he wasn’t in regular contact with Thomas and that they last spoke a week before his arrest. “Thomas then said his life was in danger and that he was surrounded by enemies,” he said.
The brother told The Indian Express that Thomas, a B.Com graduate, who had exhibited “severe symptoms of mental illness” since an accident in 1997 in which he sustained a head injury, “needs treatment, not jail”.
He said that Thomas worked as an office assistant-cum-accountant for several years in the Mumbai office of the Airports Authority of India and used to live in Andheri. In 1992, he shifted to an AAI office in Kerala.
For reasons the brother said were unclear to him, the AAI gave his job to Thomas’s wife. The husband and wife have been divorced for several years and have a son.
The brother said he last saw Thomas in 2016, after nearly a decade. In 2007, the brother, who was then working in the Middle East, got him a job there, “but he quit after a few months”.
After that, he met Thomas only in 2016, when he showed up at his Mumbai house and lived there for a few months. “He had a property matter in the south. He owned a seven-room bungalow there and feared that his wife would take the property away. We travelled together to Kerala to clear his property tax,” the brother said.
Thomas, the brother said, disappeared soon after, and the next he heard from him was in the beginning of 2017 when he called to say he was in Sri Lanka. “He sounded happy. He asked me to come to Colombo,” said his younger brother, adding that he never asked him how he was supporting himself, where he lived or what he did.
In the months that followed, the two kept in touch through “missed calls”.
“I knew he had no money, so sometimes I would call him back when I got a missed call from him. When I spoke to him last, in the third week of September, he said he had a lot of enemies. I told him to come back or to report to the police or the Indian embassy there. As usual, our conversation ended abruptly,” the brother said.
The brother said he was in touch with Indian and Sri Lankan officials. “But I haven’t had a chance to speak to my brother yet. Indian officials were also not allowed to meet him.
They asked me to visit Colombo but I am unwell. I request them to take his illness into consideration and drop all false charges against him. If they cannot release him immediately, I hope they will make sure that he gets mental health treatment,” the brother said.
He said he had asked the Sri Lankan authorities to send a photograph of Thomas so that he can be sure that it is his brother they have arrested, as “his passport was stolen a few years ago, and he got a new one made only two years ago”.
Mudson Amerasinghe / October 22, 2018
It has turned out that the President’s decision to assume leadership of the SLFP has been to be a monumental misjudgement at two levels. First, it has alienated him from the forces that voted him into power with fervent hopes of establishing good governance in the country. Second, it has prompted large swathes of SLFP members and activists to cross over to the Rajapaksa group as Sirisena, was not a leader they aspired to have in the first place. During the toxic and increasingly partisan presidential election campaign in January 2015, SLFP activists and supporters at the grassroots level despised Sirisena with serious venom, perceiving him as a “traitor”.
President Sirisena and the SLFP, at this point, have three groups of supporters. There are the MPs and backers who have aligned them with Sirisena for the positional power the latter wields as the Executive President: By being on Sirisena’s side, they have secured access to government jobs, perks and state funds. They assume this unhindered access to the state machinery will help their individual campaigns to some degree at the next Parliamentary election. This group will also have qualms about performing a volte-face on President Sirisena at a crunch time to throw their full weight behind the Rajapaksas’.
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Sandra Aponso / October 22, 2018
This rogue state is good at spinning things.
13+ became 13-
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old codger / October 22, 2018
The real question is ,”why would a mentally unstable person want to kill another mentally unstable person?”
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Lapatiya / October 22, 2018
Yeah, Million Dollar question is why one mental illness man plotting to kill another mental illness person. Basically this can’t happen as a crow will never eat another crow’s flesh. 62 Laks people who voted for 2nd mental illness person are now considered him as a betrayer. 58 Laks who didn’t vote also considered him as a betrayer. for them he is a betrayer forever. They will never ever pardon him for that. Actually he should prepare to admit to a mental hospital now onward before Rajapaksha clan treat him.
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Julampitiye Amraya / October 22, 2018
Not really a one mentally ill, unstable person. But there are two . The other one is mentally retarded, maniacal killer self claim savior Gotha oambaya.
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Justice and Fairplay / October 22, 2018
Cracking good question Old Codger ?
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Champa / October 22, 2018
old codger
The answer is simple: Because then the mentally unstable person (any) can “easily” escape without charges for the murder.
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Ajith / October 22, 2018
Most of our Srilankan politicians are mentally affected and they should be treated immediately.
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K.Anaga / October 24, 2018
Srilankan politicians are mentally and that is why they in the Parliament representing equally ill citizens.
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Steve / October 22, 2018
“Thomas was arrested from the home of a self-styled Sri Lankan anti-corruption activist and a former employee of the Presidential Secretariat, Namal Kumara”.
If Thomas is mentally ill, what was he doing in Sri Lanka. What is his connection to Namal Kumara. The authorities need to sort out this case quickly and bring an end to this ugly saga that is affecting relations between India and Sri Lanka. However, appears they are dragging on this matter playing political games.
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Bunjappu / October 22, 2018
Steve,
yes the very same instantly came to my mind as I read this. As far as my info is concerned, non srilankens cant stay in the country longer than they are allowed to. Now the question arises, how can non-srilankens stay in the country without the knowledge of lanken immigration and emmigration.
Why the kind of men to allow roaming in this country should immediately be investigated by the responsible authorities sooner than later.
May be Indian Embassy was aware of the medical histroy of this particular Thomas atleast to some extent. And there had been rumours in the air, this paticular Indian man to have paid visits to the right hand of former President, Mahinda Rajapakshe – most known Wimal Baluwanse. What could have the latter be connected with ?
All in all, there are lot more to reveal in the days regarding indian man and the speculations already made by that Namal Kumara. Why do lanken CID or any other intelligence authorties seem to be not active enough regarding the indicident ?
But what bothers me is, incumbent Prez has not catergorically added that RAW is connected with the particular indian man. However, he had shown his suspicions on this. India media had jumped up and made their article in Hindu news paper. So Hindu Paper should come with an explanation as to why they reacted so not knowing all the bits clearly.
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Lapatiya / October 22, 2018
In my opinion CID should arrest Wimal Weerawansa and question him about RAW agent. He said that Thomas, RAW agent, has visited two times to his house to meet him and also disclosed the ID no given to Thomas by RAW. RAW should be the first Intelligence agency in the World to recruit agents under agency’s true ID. He can be arrested for not informing the authorities such important evidence earlier connected to assignation plot of Sri Lanka’s first mental unsound citizen. Also CID should question Thomas weather he had any Viagra experience in his visits to Wimal Weerawansa’s house.
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Ranjith(SPRRW) / October 22, 2018
Dear Writer Do you know the amount RAW paid to family members of this RAW agent to make this statement. May be one million or more than that Indian Rupees. That is the way Inteligence services of any country operate. CIA & KGB well known for such thing. How many times CIA plotted to kill Ex Kuban leader Fidel Castro. Every times when attempts were unsuccessful they made various statements to cover up their activities. That is very natural thing.
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Herbert Thambiyah / October 22, 2018
Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has tweeted that minister Mahinda Amaraweera should reveal the RAW spies in the cabinet.
Out of the four.
One is a Male
One is a Female
One is Short
One is tall
Total 4
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Robert Wanasundera / October 22, 2018
HT.
One is this thin
One is Fat
One is dark
One is fair
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nalmen / October 22, 2018
the whole thing was bullshit from the beginning
a concocted story to gain public sympathy for the 2 protaganists
fake news of the highest order
he should have been deported and not arrested
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Colonel Gadafpee / October 22, 2018
naimen.
Yes spot on agreed.
”Yabba dabba Doo!”
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Raj / October 22, 2018
Didn’t Sirisena say that he would be 6 feet underground if MR won the elections? Now it seems that ‘moda’ Sira is going behind the very same man who was supposed to bump him off & it’s the Indians who want to bump him off now.
Is the President desperately trying to seek attention? Maybe his feeble mind is running riot with happenings, such as, the incident at the Saudi Embassy in Turkey & considers himself as a thorn in the back side of the Indians, so much so, they want to bump him off. I am sure the Indians consider him as a stupid joker with a his days in power numbered & some poor, unheard Indian with mental problems is caught up in the conspiracy.
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Martin / October 22, 2018
And now the government is requesting Chinese help to investigate the Indian attempt to assassinate MS. It supposedly starts with their help to recover the mysteriously lost voice recording on Namal Kumara’s phone., the key evidence in this unending saga. Everything is so fluid that we can only hope it doesn’t end up in an international crisis, trying to calm MS that his life is not at risk. Supposedly he wakes up at night in a cold sweat having those ‘end of the road’ panic attacks, specially knowing he has an IGP who (in his mnd) cannot be trusted. Paranoia to the hilt. . .
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chiv / October 22, 2018
Ranjith, MS is not Fidel Castro.So please do not fantasize more worse you may end up joining the mentally ill. Old Codger you beat me there. A mentally ill patient trying to harm few other mentally ill. And who reported this is another severely mentally ill Wimal Weerawansa, who is well known for his delusions,paranoia and hallucinations.. Dude Lanka has become like “One Flew Over The Cockoo,s Nest.”Who is playing the role of Jack Nicholson here. Any idea??????
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Siliputha / October 22, 2018
Silisenas assassination story is a total fabrication now that rajitha is forming a grand alliance gamarala will drop this like thajudeen case.. this gamarala fellow is not suitable to be a leader
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Mallaiyuran / October 22, 2018
There are matters to suspect that entire things are framed for some time at very high level. The So Called Malayalee was spotted by Aanduwa agents and kept in the binocular lenses for couple of months. If one is mentally ill, when you meet him, you do know the man has problems. So man could have been handpicked………. for the purpose. They could have been the ones asking him to visit Wilmal’s house, office like places and supplying the needed addresses. The Lemon Puff Weeraya would not have minded to meet any mad man in his house, but other politicians might have a hesitation. This cunning brother is eying his 7 room Bungalow but not ready to go Lankawe to get his release. Apparently he made sure brother pays all the taxes before he leaves to Lankawe. Sometimes the nasty God revenge peoples they cannot go against him. He too is as bad as Indian government or Appe Aanduwa.
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Dr. Dharshana W / October 22, 2018
An Indian National named as a prime Suspect in the Presidential Assassination Attempt:
Again, the question arises as to why the Indian High Commission immediately claimed that M Thomas who was arrested in the aftermath of the assassination plot against the President My3, when it took over two weeks for his own brother to claim that M Thomas was a psychiatric patient.
There is also the claim by Wimal W that M. Thomas visited his residence (on several occasions) and also that he visited his political office in the past. As such either M. Thomas, was a deeply sick Psychiatric person so as for him to have lost his orientation or the other obvious conclusion that Wimal W is another player of this game of Chess.
Although I’ve achieved very academic accolades, I am yet to figure out how the minds of our ( Sri Lankan) politicians function.
I guess, I am better-off having a sub 70 IQ level (that of an average tuk-tuk driver in the City) than trying to rationalize the actions of our bureaucrats and politicians.
I am thinking of letting go of my lecturing career as well, since None of the political actions can be explained through Management science.
I look a fool in front of my intelligent students audiences in teaching Management Science
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Champa / October 22, 2018
This story itself arouse suspicion. OMG I have written on this to a Sinhala Daily, now actually I am lazy to write a comment.
Anyways, let’s analyse the situation. Putting a few pieces together will solve the puzzle.
1. First of all, if this Indian National who was arrested by the Police acting on a “tip off” by the Police informant Namal Kumara at his house (what a coincidence!), was a mentally ill person, I mean severely mentally ill person, how could he come to Sri Lanka by plane, rented an annex and lived without a job or money since 2017?
Why didn’t his family members put him in a mental hospital in India in the first place?
2. He has visited Sri Lanka by a new passport, issued two years ago! (To visit Sri Lanka?) His previous passport is lost!. A familiar story. This is a sure way to hide the true identity.
3. Family members say he was in contact with them from Sri Lanka. Why didn’t they inform the Indian HC in Colombo without asking the “severely mentally ill person” to contact the Police or the HC?
4. Why do the family members want him to admit to a mental hospital ONLY AFTER he was arrested? If he was so ill, how could he has never been in a mental hospital in India?
5. If an Indian national can visit a country by plane (or by boat?), contact his loved ones in India over the phone and visit places in a foreign country without anybody’s help, read English Daily and understand all latest news especially news about plots among all other news, he should be a “mentally very sound person” who was fully aware what he was doing.
Contd’ 1/2
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Champa / October 22, 2018
Continued2/2
6. Police informant Namal Kumara is hiding something and clearly there is somebody behind him. His story is like reading from a script.
As revealed now, he had made his way to be in the close proximity to the President which he never revealed in his first episode.
He said that there was a plot to assassinate Maithri and Gotabhaya. There was no mention of Mahinda whose life is in more danger than the others.
7. The first story was failed to attract public hype as expected. Then there was an ‘add on’; the Indian national who, according to CID, had visited Namal Kumara after reading the news to learn more about the plot. He is the one who said that there is a plot to assassinate Mahinda which hyped up the society.
Then out of the blue there was news that the Indian had visited Wimal too. For what? Surely someone wanted to drag Wimal’s name to the plot (for political reasons, obviously.)
Clearly, neither the Indian nor Namal Kumara acting alone.
In conclusion, I would say, there could be a plot to assassinate a top political leader or may be two (obviously the current and the former Presidents) and there is a deliberate attempt to divert the attention from the true plotters. In other words, for any reason if the assassination plot is successful, everybody will think it is the DIG in question and may be IGP and the UNP are behind it. But actually they may not be the real culprits. It could be a foreign element. I could be someone else with connections.
Then the news by “The Hindu” and Ram’s vehement refusal (pretty unusual) to accept that the inside information they received is wrong, tells that there actually is something going on.
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JD / October 22, 2018
Namal Rajapakse’s TWEET is a lie to gain publicity. Everything pre arranged.
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K.Pillai / October 22, 2018
Does it mean all MS opponents are insane?
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Mano / October 22, 2018
Very fascinating story like Alice in Wonderland.
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Good Sense / October 22, 2018
OK! Let Mr. Thomas be of unsound mind. This is a society that requires authentic information. Can the authorities who arrested Thomas explain why he was arrested? Don’t tell me it was just because he was found in the premises of a controversial character. The fellows give an impression that an Indian mad man is “recruited” to perform a nefarious act thus giving credence to the RAW involvement. Even if commits a crime he cannot be found fault as he is INSANE. Further any statement he makes has no credence. Added to the fact that a sniper of a special kind was issued to the Anti-terrorism division of the police, whose interdicted DIG is in the spot-light, the whole episode reminds me of the incident “The Day of the Jackal”.
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Rohan / October 23, 2018
Very fishy story. A mentally ill person travelling to a foreign country with a new passport living and renting a house , with no money and going around unhindered or without any problems. The family did not show any concern , until now , that their mentally in brother was living and gallivanting around a strange land . If I had a mentally ill brother doing all these strange things I would have been doing my best to return him back to India and have him treated but his brother seems to have shown no concern. A so called mentally ill happily working for the Indian government , then in the Arabian Gulf and travels to Sri Lanka with no problems ! Most probably this Thomas being a Malayalee spoke fluent Tamil too and passed of as a Tamil and the Tamils would have been blamed( Indian or Sri Lankan) if anything happened. Are they trying to make us mental too or think we are mental?
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chiv / October 23, 2018
Dr Darshana as a physician I am in the same conundrum as you. I hope quite a lot of Lankans are asking the same questions.
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Buddhi Perera / October 23, 2018
If he is a nut, why do family members allow him to go to Sri Lanka. (Do they think it suits him?)
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Native Vedda / October 23, 2018
Buddhi Perera
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“If he is a nut, why do family members allow him to go to Sri Lanka.”
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Don’t you travel abroad?
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K.Pillai / October 23, 2018
The families of the world’s politicians in general, SL politician in particular, will tell us that the politician/s in the family is/are insane.
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