Opposition Lawmaker Rishard Bathiudeen and his brother Riyadh who were arrested by the CID last Saturday will be interrogated under a 90 day detention order obtained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the police spokesman said on Tuesday (28).
Rishad Bathiudeen
Bathiudeen is the former Industries Minister and Leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), the second largest Muslim party in the island. The CID arrested the Bathuideen brothers under the cover of night, shortly before the morning meal with which the Muslims commence their day-long fast. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane was not informed of the arrest of the MP, although that is the standard practice. Bathiudeen is both a MP and a party leader in the Sri Lankan parliament.
The Presidential Commission on the Easter Sunday attacks evaluated the evidence given before it and found no evidence linking Rishard Bathiudeen to the bombings. However Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera has claimed that the police have unearthed new evidence linking the Bathiudeen brothers to the Easter bombers.
Beset with crises on every governance front, the Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime has launched a vicious witch-hunt against opposition MPs. Bathiudeen, a long time bête noire of the rabidly nationalist electoral base commanded by the President and the SLPP, was arrested to silence Government critics over its failure to act against perpetrators of the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019.
The arrest of the Bathiudeen brothers is also an olive branch to Cardianal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka. For several months, the Cardinal has been hinting that there was more to the Easter Sunday attacks than meets the eyes and calling for Black Sunday protests from the Catholic community across the island until justice is achieved for the mostly-Christian victims of the bombings.
His most recent remarks, walked back 24 hours later, referred to the Easter Sunday bombings as having nothing to do with Islamic extremism. Instead the bombings were “politically motivated” the Cardinal said for certain groups to consolidate political power.
These broad hints by the Cardinal – a long-time backer of the Rajapaksa family – provided grist to the mill of speculation surrounding the April 21, 2019 attacks, as Opposition MPs ramped up revelations about connections between the bombers and the Sri Lankan intelligence services.
Opposition MPs including Harin Fernando, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Manusha Nanayakkara have openly hinted that the “masterminds” of the Easter Attacks were linked to the ruling Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Spokesman for presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa have already confirmed that the Zahran Hashim, the radical preacher from Kattankudy turned lead suicide bomb squad leader was in the pay of the Sri Lankan intelligence community.
Questions have been raised about whether the arrest and detention of Rishard Bathiudeen and his brother were aimed at appeasing Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and ending his broadsides against the Government that have proven deeply damaging to the regime that rode to power on the coat-tails of the shock and sorrow brought about by the bombings in 2019.
The move may also be aimed at appeasing its increasingly agitated hardline Sinhalese electoral base that detests Bathiudeen.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s popularity has taken a hard blow from colossal mismanagement and failure to control the Covid-19 pandemic, the rampant deforestation all over the island and corruption at the highest levels of the Government. Despite putting military personnel in charge of key institutions and ministries, the President’s men have failed to deliver the most basic efficiency or coherence of policy at any level. Covid-19 Vacciines are indefinitely delayed, while infections are surging around the island bringing real fears of a third, devastating wave of the disease after the Government opened up the airport and allowed new mutated strains of the virus to enter the island. (By Janakie Mediwake)
chiv / April 27, 2021
I found the same information in social media the very next day after arrest, stating “Rajapaksas plan is to keep Richard behind bars for 90 days “. I was naive then to not to believe and pass it off as fake. Goes to show how credible is our ” Lankan Low and Odor (pungent)”
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Ajith / April 27, 2021
How many times you are going to arrest Rishard?
How many times are you going to use PTA to take revenge against one person?
Why cannot you use the PTA to arrest those who bought bribe from the international armed dealer and supplier KP?
Is it not to get bribe from and giving bribe to LTTE which is still a terrorist group banned in Sri Lanka?
If you can arrest a boy who had a news item having a photograph of Prabhaharan under PTA but the real terrorist who attacked Daladha maligawa (karuna & Pilliyan) is free even it is proved as murders?
Why cannot Buddhist Sinhala ask these questions?
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hanchopancha / April 27, 2021
Ajith. You must be the Himalayas of naivete. What you expect from those who are surviving on eating love grass.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / April 27, 2021
Whether Badiuddeen is involved in Easter bombing is yet to be made public, but the fact is that he was involved in acts of terror against Tamils since 2009. He should have been arrested for throwing stones on Mannar church and for contempt demonstrating against Mannar court. As his terror was directed against Tamils, no action was taken against him either by Mahinda regime or Yahapalana regime. Government turned a blind eye to his activity of settling Muslims from outside, in northern province to alter demographic pattern as it was within Sinhala agenda. Badiuddeen was active in Puttlalm – Mannar area, and could not feign ignorance about terrorist activity in the region such as smuggling weapons and bomb materials through that corridor and presence of training ground in a coconut estate in the area. Badiuddeen must explain the wealth he has amassed after coming empty handed as a refugee in 1990.
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SJ / April 28, 2021
“Badiuddeen was active in Puttlalm – Mannar area, and could not feign ignorance about terrorist activity in the region”
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We have here a most eligible witness for the state I guess.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / April 28, 2021
Sivasegaram, these matters are beyond your intellectual capacity. Read the article on clandestine activity around Mannar – Puttalam coast attributed to Badiuddin family, which appeared in Colombo Telegraph a few years ago.
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SJ / April 28, 2021
Where did you gather ‘intelligence’ on Bathiudeen?
What does this yet another senseless utterance by you prove?
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So, the family stands watch along the coast 24x7x52 yearly?
GS, U R pathetic.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / April 29, 2021
Sivasegaram, can’t you understand simple English. Where did I say that it was my work. This article was written by a responsible and prominent person, who had gathered it from his contacts in the area. Read that article first before commenting.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / May 1, 2021
Sivasegaram the pathetic case, there is news that Kerala police is investigating clandestine activity of Badiuddin. Very soon Tamil Nadu police will do the same.
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SJ / May 1, 2021
What I questioned was your fib about Rishard B’s “clandestine activity around Mannar – Puttalam coast attributed to Badiuddin family”.
May I know who this “responsible and prominent person”? Is he as responsible as you?
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Several “responsible and prominent persons” tell all manner of lies about Tamil nationalists too. Do you accept them as well?
You choose to repeat lies that suit your prejudices.
Innocent until proven guilty is still the rule here and in UK, although governments do act in breach of it.
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SL investigators asked the Kerala Police to investigate RB.
Is that saying much, given the witch hunt that is going on?
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By the way, how is your twin brother?
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Mallaiyuran / April 29, 2021
State who paid for the terrorists, setting them up and keeping them in payroll, knows who the witness are. They don’t want your suggestion. In Yahapalanaya time, when JOP MPs asked to investigate Rishard, all Muslims Ministers and MPs resigned. Where are they now? Any honest reason for not resigning this time? Your story is “Chameleon is the witness” , always.
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Eagle Eye / April 27, 2021
Ajith,
“…but the real terrorist who attacked Daladha maligawa (karuna & Pilliyan) is free even it is proved as murders?”
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Not only Karuna and Pilliyan, another 11,872 LTTE Tamil terrorists who had committed crimes against Sinhalayo were pardoned, rehabilitated and released without filing charges by Rajapakshes.
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Native Vedda / April 28, 2021
Eagle Blind Brain Dead Eye
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“Not only Karuna and Pilliyan, were pardoned, rehabilitated and released without filing charges by Rajapakshes.”
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Were they charged and found guilty by a court for them to be subsequently pardoned?
What did the war criminals do with the tens of thousands of innocent people who surrendered and eventually made to involuntarily disappear? Were they used as moving target practice?
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Have you ever noticed the war criminals ever smiling, laughing, behaving like normal people?
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Kanapathy Varunan / April 28, 2021
Over 18 million Sinhalese who murdered the Tamils in 1956, 1961,1977, 1983 and finally the genocide in 2009, were never taken to task. Their activities were simply ignored in the Name of lord buddha.
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Eagle Eye / April 29, 2021
Kanapathy Varunan
If Sinhalayo wanted to kill Tamils they would not have given asylum and accommodated Tamils in their country after the colonial rulers who brought them from Hindusthan abandoned them in Sinhale and ran away. But ungrateful Tamils started killing Sinhalayo whenever they introduced certain changes after they became an Independent nation.
When Sinhalayo changed the English letters in car number plates to a Sinhala letter, Tamils started killing Sinhalayo. All the clashes between Sinhalayo and Tamils since Sinhalayo gained Independence were started by Tamils attacking Sinhalayo. Stop blaming Sinhalayo for the sins committed by Tamils.
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GATAM / April 27, 2021
Why arrest? Just political drama. If Rajapaksas are serious about justice it can be done without arresting him!!
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Native Vedda / April 27, 2021
GATAM
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“If Rajapaksas are serious about justice it can be done without arresting him!!”
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You mean ENCOUNTER him like Hindian style or Lasantha style?
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Captain Morgan / April 27, 2021
Rishard Bathiudeen will be interrogated under a 90-day detention order obtained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. This is nothing but an act of political revenge, pure and simple! Is the interrogation going to take 90 days? I have never heard of any politician, here or abroad, who kept creating and accumulating enemies at such a prodigious rate! Gota is simply begging for trouble. He will get it in spades sooner than anyone expects!
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Kanapathy Varunan / April 27, 2021
Are the Srilankan investigators so inefficient that they need 90days to find out the truth/lies from Rishad and his brother? Does that mean90 days/3months/12 weeks? This the 2nd instalment of investigations.
Rishad should be investigated as to how he made his wealth. A man who did not even own a motor cycle, according reports.
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Ashan / April 27, 2021
If it is corruption he has been arrested for maybe there are many in the present regime, who belongs to rot in jail as well. Some of their crimes go back to the last time they were in power.
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Eagle Eye / April 27, 2021
Kanapathy Varunan,
Dumbo, what the Commission did was scratching the surface. Investigators have to do further investigations to find solid evidences to charge the culprits. If the investigators do things in a hurry, Demalu will say Sri Lanka has ‘Kangaroo Courts’.
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“Are the Srilankan investigators so inefficient that they need 90days to find out the truth/lies from Rishad and his brother”
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Native Vedda / April 28, 2021
Eagle Blind Eye
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“Investigators have to do further investigations to find solid evidences to charge the culprits.”
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I agree they need more time to fabricate evidence, prepare witness, …..
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sitrep24 / April 27, 2021
We all know this was done to appease a certain wanna be politician/cardinal with a dwindling popularity. If this cardinal is serious why does he not demand those (gota & co.) who are responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks be arrested, without playing politics and trying to win popularity contest among the Christians.
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This is why clergy should be separated from matters of the state, i.e. law enforcement. Justice is a double edge sword.
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Buddhist1 / April 27, 2021
This is done to get votes of his party MPs when the Political victimization and Port City Bills come for voting in the Parliament. Is this is Vyath Maga, is this the Sawbagya Dakma, bull!
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Kanapathy Varunan / April 27, 2021
Are the Srilankan investigators so inefficient that they need 90days to find out the truth/lies from Rishad and his brother? Does that mean90 days/3months/12 weeks? This the 2nd instalment of investigations.
Rishad should be investigated as to how he made his wealth. A man who did not even own a motor cycle, according reports.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 27, 2021
Why you want to send him to Guantanamo to be held for years instead?
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Manicka Vasagar / April 27, 2021
Hello Muslim Brothers,
This is a big internal 70 year old problem, it will never be resolved by internal home grown solutions, by just complaining to the chauvunistic majoritarian sinhala autocratic regime.
It’s not Singhalese vs Muslims vs Terrorist, it needs international Community involvement. Firstly indentify yourselves as Tamils, rather than Muslims first. Don’t mix religion and politics.
Realise your past mistakes for supporting and appeasing successive Sinhala regimes, for breadcrumbs and superficial Cabinet posts. Shame that you have being used and abused for a short change, against our Tamils.
Join the Tamils, unite with a collective voice and call for a merged North and East independent state of TAMIL EELAM, to live with respect, security and with dignity, and to protect your religion, to develop and prosper with the Tamils as a Nation in our Homeland.
Until then you can crow and cry. Look ahead or get buried.
Allah u Akhbar.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 27, 2021
Keep dreaming. Muslims and Tamils will never unite against the Sinhalese. We made sure very early itself that that would not happen.
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Native Vedda / April 28, 2021
Reginald Shameless Pererass
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“Muslims and Tamils will never unite against the Sinhalese.”
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The need for Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese unite against the Sinhala/Buddhist fascism fast approaching.
You better start looking for a Kallthonie to take you back to your ancestral mother country, South India.
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Humble / April 28, 2021
You better start looking for a Kallthonie to take you back to your ancestral mother country, South India
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Dont insult him. He is a member of the ‘superior aryan race’ !
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Mahila / May 1, 2021
Superior Aryan Race progeny, of the 700 Dravida Pandyan Princesses. Well done. For the present, leave the western colonial influence in the genes out of the deal so as to make conversation smoother.
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Svenson / April 27, 2021
‘Join the Tamils, unite with a collective voice and call for a merged North and East independent state of TAMIL EELAM…’
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73 years of this kind of talk and what have the Tamils achieved? Nothing.
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Native Vedda / April 28, 2021
Svenson
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“73 years of this kind of talk and what have the Tamils achieved? Nothing.”
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My Elders tell me they started hearing Tamil Eelam only after 1971. Where did you get 73 years?
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What has Sinhala/Buddhist achieved?
1. Crooks, war criminals, Saffron clad thugs, … are jokeying for total power.
2. Criminals are being pardoned or never punished.
3. Land is being grabbed from Tamils, Muslims, Sinhalese by saffron crooks and their loyal thugs.
4. Now the state has ended up selling its family jewels, …..
5. Destruction of the island started in the mid 1950s. It has not stopped yet. The island has not yet recovered from terrorism and wars which started in 1971.
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Millions of women folks are being sent to Medieval Middle East kingdoms where they are being ill treated, humiliated, tortured …. some of them came back in coffins.
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The country’s leaders always seen with begging bowl.
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What has the country achieved in the past 73 years?
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Eagle Eye / April 29, 2021
Native Vedda,
“What has Sinhala/Buddhist achieved?”
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The greatest achievement of Sinhala Buddhists after they gained independence is defeating the 53rd Dravida invasion to grab their land.
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Svenson / April 30, 2021
Good so you know all the answers then Vedda……………and you have still achieved nothing.
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Just remember my comment was in response to ‘Join the Tamils, unite with a collective voice and call for a merged North and East independent state of TAMIL EELAM…’ by Manicka Vasagar. I didn’t claim that the Sinhalese had achieved anything at all.
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Tamil from the north / April 28, 2021
Svenson, this is why Sri Lanka is deemed as a failed state ruled by village gamarala mutts. The country has become a sad state of affairs and a laughing stock of the world. Keep promoting hatred bastard.
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Svenson / April 30, 2021
‘Svenson, this is why Sri Lanka is deemed as a failed state ruled by village gamarala mutts.’
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Why? Just because I pointed out that the Tamils have achieved nothing?
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‘ Keep promoting hatred bastard’
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Isn’t that what you are doing?.
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SJ / April 28, 2021
Snatching firewood from a blazing house?
Nice try, but be a little more sensitive next time.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 27, 2021
Long overdue caging of a blood thirsty terrorist.
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Tamil from the north / April 28, 2021
Regi Shemale boy, you are a global pariah and a disgusting filth. I know you are hiding here in Ontario. Keep flapping your mouth you fool. Why did you drop your army low rank? Finally came to your senses that a 2nd Lt, in the army is a lowest officer rank one mutt can achieve even that in a 3rd world low class army clown.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 28, 2021
TFTN,
Let’s just say my discipline while in the Army wasn’t so great. In another forum, I told the whole story. But I ain’t going over it all over again.
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Svenson / April 30, 2021
TTFN what the hell is a ‘global pariah’ and a ‘disgusting filth’? Use English boy.
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Humble / April 28, 2021
Like i said earlier. Rishard is most likely under house arrest.
He will be living in some luxury mansion in some remote area
and out of the public eye until he is ‘released’ again.
It was done once and is being repeated again.
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Ashan / April 27, 2021
Bathiudeen is just a scapegoat. How about releasing the entire investigative report, and arresting all those implicated? How about arresting Sirisena for his negligence and incompetence? Everyone who failed this country should be behind bars, and most importantly the masterminds, whatever religion they belong to. These token arrests will not do it.
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cugan / April 27, 2021
Harin Fernando’s Father had information about the attack he stopped his son to go to church,Indian intelligence given prior warnings ,
But look at the core problem the minority have to face,accept all citizens are same and treat equal ,how the system traumatised the doctor from Kurunagala,burnt down the pasta factory,and Athanagala saga with Ranavirous ,offered biscuits.for young Balachandra and made small hole in the chest
Sadu sadu
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Buddhist1 / April 28, 2021
For a person who is scared, every were he sees in the dark seems to be a ghost!
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RBH59 / April 28, 2021
Long overdue caging of a blood thirsty terrorist.
What about karuna
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 28, 2021
Mister,
We will worry about our problems and prioritize them accordingly Ok.
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ReginaldShamalPerera / April 28, 2021
The next task would be to arrange a good beating inside the prison.
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Mahila / May 1, 2021
Already SL is famous for that. You will make SL super/Hyper Famous
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Mallaiyuran / April 28, 2021
Media suggest this arrest will exceed 3 months and Rishard will lose MP position. I don’t buy that. As soon as he promised to vote for Colombo Pong Cing, he will be out, though the the accusations of helping Ismail family will remain, like Hakeem’s Kamari Cooray’s case.
It is shame for Muslim community keeping these as their leaders and the Royal family rule the with court cases.
Though one may have any amount of grudge, but must Respect Ranil’s democracy. Though no report of ill treating Rishard, who is accused of violent plots, Asele Sampath and Ranjan who are arrested for minor crime, tormented in prison.
To do enough damage to, he was one time with Sinhala Supporting actresses in Swiss high class hotel. Now under PTA, in prison.
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Mallaiyuran / April 28, 2021
(Sorry, my computer malfunctions and I have continuation of problems in commenting. The earlier one got posted itself before I finish.)
Ranil’s democracy was, during the fake arrests of them in Yahapalanaya, he kept the Royals family in 5 star hotel hospitals, to make sure their life style would not be affected. Now Assle too in hospital, but to get treatment for the guards beating up. I wonder if Sinhala Elite class would long for regime change once more to Ranil come back or would prefer to hang in the Royals Luxury Palace Prison in Galles .
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AYATHURAY RAJASINGAM / May 1, 2021
It is learnt that the Indian Intelligence Bureau and the Kerala Police have launched an investigation into the Kerala links of All Ceylon People’s Congress leader and Member of Parliament Rishad Bathiudeen, who was arrested by the Sri Lankan police in connection with the 2019 Sunday attacks. However, his visit to Kasaragod in 2009 and his encounter with a few religious leaders in Kerala will be investigated. According to intelligence officials, Rishad’s father, Kasargod, hails from Patna and was associated with a few people in the area. Already, the Indian Intelligence Bureau and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are working closely with the Sri Lankan government on the investigation. Also in June 2019, a man was arrested in Tamil Nadu for having links with Sri Lankan ISIS leader Zahran Hashim and his men. Kerala State Police Chief Loknath Behera has said that the Kerala Police will also investigate the confession of the surviving Sunday attacker Hashmi and the links of the arrested Sri Lankan political leader. Meanwhile, Indian intelligence said that the disappearance of five young Muslim families from Patna to Syria in 2016 to join ISIS and Bediuzzaman’s connection to Kasaragod would be investigated in detail. It was also reported that the five Muslim families had already received information that they had received religious training from the National Tawheed Jamaat in Sri Lanka before leaving for Syria.
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