Fraud Investigation Bureau probes land grabbing racket

by Norman Palihawadane

IGP CD Wickramratne has ordered Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau to investigate a major racket where an organised group has grabbed properties from their rightful owners.The racketeers forged land deeds and used force to remove the victims, mostly belonging to the minority communities, from their properties, the police said.

A racketeer taken into custody was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Court on Friday and remanded till 26 Sept. He was taken into custody on a special court order after an attempt to grab a shop at First Cross Street in Colombo on 22 Aug.The suspect, named S. Bandara alias Nilame has been accused of leading a group of nine others, who forcibly entered the shop in the First Street claiming that they owned the place. They chased away the shopkeeper PHMMP Vignesh after taking his mobile phones.

Following a complaint from the current owner of the shop Pettah police nabbed nine persons and produced them before Colombo High Court Judge on 25 Aug.Following an order by the court to arrest Bandara, who masterminded the incident, the police nabbed Bandara on Friday and produced before the courts.

The Pettah police nabbed nine persons Mohamed Casim Mohamed Farooq, Walawa Arachchi Gamage Sarath Wijetunga, Daniel Anthony, MK Piyasena, Gabriel Ignatius Charles alias Pradeep Charles, WWM Thilak Pushpa Kumara, SR Nissanka, Suppaiah Selvaraj and K Bandusena and produced before Colombo High Court Judge on Aug 25.

The racket had forged deeds for 147 shops, police said.In addition to the investigation by the Pettah Police, the IGP has issued orders to the CFIB to investigate the racket.