Daughter seeks to stop publication of mother’s life story

Sandasen MARASINGHE

COLOMBO: The daughter of Adlin Vitarana came before the Colombo District Court 48 after years since her mother’s murder seeking an injunction order restraining novelist Newton Gunasekara and Dayawansa Book Publishers from publishing and selling the novel Dadakeliya, the Adlin Vitaranage Kathawa, citing the book was defamatory of her mother.

Mangalika Atapattu of Henegedara Rd, Nilammahara Road, Maharagama cited Newton Gunasekara and Dayawansa Jayakody Book Publishers as respondents.

Mangalika filing the plaint through Attorney Chandrani Dayaratne submitted that she was the only daughter of Adlin Vitarana and was born on August 9, 1957. In connection with her mother’s assassination on March 14, 1959 Jayalal Anandagoda was convicted and was sentenced to death.

In 1976 A. C. Alles wrote two English and Sinhala books by the name of Wilpattu Sihiwatanaya and Memories of Wilpattu. Wasantha Obeysekara directed a film ‘Dadayama’.

She came to know through a news item in the Daily News on November 11, 2006 that Newton Gunasekara was to publish a book on her mother’s story, ‘Dadakeliya’, (Adlin Vitaranage Kathawa) and plaintiff informed the author not to publish the book through her attorney but they publish the book on November 21, 2006. They published 2500 copies of book.

Plaintiff submitted that the Attorney General had noted in 1976 when the judgement was issued that the story could not be published without his approval.

Plaintiff stated that she read the novel and she found the book depicted her mother’s character in a defamatory manner and claims Rs. 3 million as damages.