Special Task Force (STF) and Divisional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers in Gampola have rescued a man who was said to have won the lottery of Rs.75 million after he was kidnapped and beaten for ten days in two houses at Rathmalkaduwa in Gampola.
Four persons including a wood mill owner were arrested for kidnapping the victim Mohammad Hasim who is a resident from Akurana.
According to the information received by the STF Intelligence Division that a man is being held captive forcibly in Rathmalkaduwa, the Gampola STF officers arrived at the location and confirmed the incident.
Accordingly, Gampola Divisional CID officials were also brought to the location to rescue the victim.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the man who was in Dambulla, was kidnapped by four people who had gone from Gampola on July 27 and then brought him to Gampola in a car.
The man has told the police that he was severely beaten by the perpetrators demanding money which was hidden.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that there is a dispute between the victim and the main suspect over financial transactions.
Police also suspect whether the man has been staying with the suspects willingly.
However, the man in question said he was forced to write a letter saying that he was willingly staying with the attackers, and that he was told by the attackers that the letter was an idea of the police.
He said that the lottery money has been given to another person to safeguard it. Police investigations revealed that the person who took the money had gone to Japan.
The victim said that he had done business with a person from Kurunegala and he also came to the house where he was being detained and forced him to sign a letter saying that he owes Rs.30 million to that person.
The perpetrators have also taken a letter from the victim saying that he owes them Rs.9 million.
The Gampola Police said that there were many problematic developments about this kidnapping.
The Gampola Divisional Crime Officers are conducting further investigations.
