Abduction and assault of film producer :  Police looking for Tarzan

by Norman Palihawadane

The Welimada police are looking for two suspects for allegedly abducting and assaulting a teledrama and film producer. One of them is known as Tarzan.Five suspects had been arrested for the abduction and assault of teledrama and film producer Gamini Priyantha Samarakoon, who was later left on the Welimada-Nuwara Eliya Road, last Thursday (04), police said. A van allegedly used for the crime has also been taken into custody.

Samarakoon, 51, a resident of Lunuatugama, Uva Paranagama has complained to the Welimada Police that while he was walking on the road, around 2.45 pm on Thursday when he was abducted.  He has told police the abductors assaulted him and filmed the incident; one of them made a video call to person called Tarzan.

Samarakoon has said Tarzan and Nimesh, the manager of a filling station, had been angry with him over a teledrama production. A teledrama produced by Nimesh, was rejected by several television stations. Tarzan and Nimesh suspected that the victim had a hand in the rejection of the teledrama.

After lodging the complaint, Samarakoon admitted himself to the Welimada hospital for treatment for injuries he had sustained at the hands of his abductors.

Police said the person named Nimesh was absconding, but added that five persons connected to the abduction had been taken into custody by Friday.

Two of them were arrested in Welimada and two others in Bandarawela. Fifth one was nabbed in Nuwara Eliya. According to Police, the suspects are engaged in seizing vehicles. They are residents of Welimada, Uva Paranagama and Guruthalawa.Under interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had carried out the abduction on a contract given by the manager of the fuel filling station.