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Special police team on Mahen Ratwatte's trail

by Jayantha Sri Nissanka

A Special Police team has been deployed to arrest Mahen Ratwatte, son of PA heavyweight Anuruddha Ratwatte, following a complaint of assault made against him by Sunil Perera, leader of the popular band Gypsies during a function at a Colombo five star hotel in the wee hours of Saturday.

Police who tried to contact Ratwatte at his Madiwela residence in Kotte was told by a domestic that he had left for Nuwara Eliya. In yet another clear instance of lawlessness by the off spring of influential families at five star venues, Mahen, whose name figures prominently in the Kumar Ponnambalam assassination case had mercilessly assaulted the famous singer after shoving him into a toilet at the Colombo Hilton where the Tea Traders Ball was held.

"We will deal with him severely if he tries to abscond. He still has a chance to surrender," Colombo SSP D.P.L. Dissanayake told the Daily News yesterday.

Gypsies Leader Sunil Perera had reportedly provoked the wrath of Mahen Ratwatte when he ad libbed to the popular Sinhala hit "Merate Minissu". One part of the song referred to "helikopteren usavi yanawa oi" an allusion to the helicopter rides of the Senior Ratwatte to the Teldeniya Courts in connection with the Udatalawinna massacre.

According to police, Sunil Perera had performed 24 songs at the Tea Traders function and when the singer was about to partake his dinner about 2.30 am on Saturday, Ratwatte had accosted Perera saying he wanted a word with him.

Thereafter, Perera had been forced into the toilet where he was dealt several blows. The assailant's wife too was present at the time of the assault. Later, Hotel security guards have rescued Sunil Perera, SSP Dissanayake said.

Though the incident had occurred around 2.30 am neither Sunil Perera nor Hotel staff had lodged a complaint immediately. However, the singer had arrived at the Fort Police Station around 7.00 am and made the complaint on Saturday morning.

The assault took place at the conclusion of a baila session where Sunil Perera with co-singer Corrine Almeida sang: "Thava Thavadukvidinnenissa. Egolothkapualight..megollo dunnalight. Eheth, light billavadivellane oi... egollo muntabanni... megollountabani... kellavennaiapitathami oi.

"Thava thava duk vidinna wpa...heta marunath mokada putha... bottuwen Ita yamu oi. Yanna gihin ahuwothin... policiata barawela... helicopteren usaviata yanawa oi."

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