Gem employee’s son held over ransom demand

Sarath Malalasekera

A special squad attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a person who is alleged to have demanded a Rs 20 million ransom and later accepted Rs 1 million from a gem merchant in Ratnapura. CID investigations revealed that the suspect who was arrested while accepting the ransom of Rs. 1 million, was a son of a senior employee of the Ratnapura gem merchant.

Demanding the ransom, the suspect had told the gem merchant that if he failed to oblige, his daughter would be abducted while she attended tuition classes in the Ratnapura town.

When the gem merchant requested the suspect to come close to the People’s Bank, Ratnapura to collect the money, the suspect refused. The suspect had told the gem merchant to place the money at a point a few yards away from the Ratnapura town.

Later, the gem merchant placed the money at the spot demanded close to Ratnapura town. A few minutes later, the suspect while collecting the cash was arrested by the CID team along with the ransom money.

The suspect will be produced before court after recording his statement, the CID said.

Investigations are being directed by CID DIG Jayantha Kulathilaka assisted by CID Director Mahesh Perera, Deputy Director SP Gajasinghe, ASP Senaka Kumarasinghe and OIC Inspector Udamalage.