In 2008, 11 young men were abducted and disappeared from areas around Colombo. The abductors demanded ransom from the victims’ families. The main suspect arrested in connection with these abductions and disappearances was Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, a Navy sailor. Reports indicate that the abducted youth were held at Navy camps in Colombo and Trincomalee.
Navy Commander Rear Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was reportedly fully aware of the detention of these 11 youth. According to Criminal Investigation Department investigations, they were held at locations where former Navy spokesperson D.K.P. Dassanayake and Commander Sumith Ranasinghe were stationed.
Following a complaint by MP Felix Pereira, Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando, who was Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda’s secretary, conducted an investigation into the disappearances. He stated that his superior, the Navy Commander, did nothing to rescue the youth who were illegally detained at the Trincomalee naval base.
It was also reported that the Navy Commander closely monitored all Navy personnel who were key witnesses and gave statements. Wasantha Karannagoda was named as the second main officer suspected in this incident. The other officer was former Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunawardena.
Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake of Colombo Fort ordered the arrest of Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunawardena. Upon examining Navy accounts, it was found that the main accused, Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, was given Rs. 500,000 to leave the country. When he was arrested, several fake identification cards were found in his possession.
Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda had some personal issues with his personal assistant Sampath Munasinghe. Along with political tension, Karannagoda had filed police complaints about the disappearance of five youth.
While Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunawardena was not directly involved in the abductions or killings, he faced charges related to concealing the incident and providing funds to suspects.
However, Travis Sinniah, who became Navy Commander after Wijegunawardena, stated that there would be no pardon for anyone who committed such crimes under the cover of war. He was removed from his position within two months of his appointment.
The disappeared youth were:
- John Reid – Age 21 – Wattala
- Amalan Leon – Age 50 – Kotahena
- Roshan Leon – 21 – Kotahena
- Rajeev Naganadan – 21 – Dehiwala
- P. Vishvanadan – 18 – Dehiwala
- P. Ramalingam – 17 – Dehiwala
- Mohamed Sajid – 21 – Dehiwala
- Jamaludeen Dilshan – Dehiwala
- Mohamed Ali Anwar – 22 – Dehiwala
- Anton – 48 – Kotahena
- Thyagarajah Jegan – 32 – Jinthupitiya
The Criminal Investigation Department reportedly missed crucial information by not obtaining evidence from Lieutenant Commander Sedililage Don Sumedha Sampath Dayananda, a Navy intelligence officer who was a key suspect in their initial investigation. Sampath Dayananda was accused of abducting two Tamil youth and had used a phone belonging to one of the abducted suspects for several months. At the time, Dayananda was stationed at the Welisara Navy camp. The CID stated that they never questioned Sampath Dayananda. Navy officers anonymously reported Dayananda’s involvement in the youth abductions, but then-Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne reportedly protected him from being taken to the CID or giving evidence.
