Rifkhan Bathiudeen, the brother of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was yesterday remanded till February 6 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.
The suspect was arrested in connection with the sale of a land in Talaimannar allegedly on forged deeds. The suspect was arrested after he surrendered to the Criminal Investigations Department through an Attorney-at-Law on yesterday (23) morning.
Investigations are being carried out on a complaint lodged by Abdul Qasim Salabi, a resident of Colombo 10, regarding the sale of a land at Vettittaravu in Upputhara, in Talaimannar allegedly with a forged deed.
President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appearing on behalf of the Rifkhan Bathiudeen informed the court that his client had sold three plots of land to S. Kaars Capital City Company on December 3,2013. The complainant had lodged the first complaint against the suspect on November 30,2015.
“The complainant had obstructed the relevant officers when they came to divide the land. Then the officers informed his client to come for a settlement with the complainant. The company had informed his client to return the money paid for the above three lands, if his client failed to settle this matter. However, the complainant had refused to come for a negotiation. After that the complainant had withdrawn his complaint in 2018. Somehow, the Criminal Investigations had again commenced the investigations regarding the incident on 2018. The boundary and name of these lands were different”, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indratissa also stated.
President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa pleaded his client be granted on bail.
The CID had earlier arrested Madar Mohideen Antarjith, a resident of Talaimannar, in connection with the incident. The suspect Mohideen Antarjith was released on bail. He was released on a cash bail of Rs.15,000 and two sureties of Rs.500,000 each. The Magistrate issued a travel ban on him.
After taken into consideration, the Magistrate observed that the suspect Rifkhan Bathiudeen has absconded court since few months. The Magistrate also observed that the name and the boundary of the two lands were complicated.
The Magistrate rejected the bail application made by President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa.
Add new comment