Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
International

Sri Lankan Man Arrested For Predicting President Maithripala Sirisena's Death

IANS, 02 Feb, 2017 01:00 PM
    A former Sri Lankan sailor, who had attacked the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with a rifle butt in Colombo in 1987, has been arrested for "predicting" the death of President Maithripala Sirisena.
     
    Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni was arrested on Tuesday by the Crime Investigation Department for circulating a video on Facebook making an astrological forecast about the death of President Sirisena by January 26.
     
    In December, Nimal Bopage, Secretary to the Ministry of Media and Parliamentary Affairs, had lodged a complaint with the police for an investigation against Wijemuni.
     
    "We see a conspiracy behind this and have asked the police to investigate because we suspect this to be part of a wider plot to assassinate the President," he had said in the complaint.
     
    He had been charged with misleading the public, police sources said.
     
    Wijemuni was part of a naval guard of honour in July, 1987 when Mr Gandhi was visiting Colombo to sign the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord which led to the Indian Peace Keeping Force being stationed in Sri Lanka's north and east provinces as part of India's efforts to mediate in Sri Lanka's separatist civil war at the time.
     
    As Mr Gandhi walked past inspecting the guard of honour, Wijemuni raised his rifle and attempted to attack the then prime minister who narrowly escaped.
     
    Wijemuni was court-martialled and after his jail term, became an astrologer.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    White House Uses Quebec Killings To Defend Own Policies On Muslim-Country Travel

    In the face of protests, lawsuits, internal grumbling, an international backlash and a partial climb-down, the Trump administration invoked Quebec City's mosque attack to defend its travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries.

    White House Uses Quebec Killings To Defend Own Policies On Muslim-Country Travel

    Murdered Infosys Staffer's Father Alleges Harassment By Senior

    Murdered Infosys Staffer's Father Alleges Harassment By Senior
    A former army officer, Raju O. told media persons that she had complained to her family about the alleged pestering by a superior and she was very disturbed about it, compelling her to seek a transfer to Bengaluru.

    Murdered Infosys Staffer's Father Alleges Harassment By Senior

    Two Indians Plead Guilty To Smuggling Foreigners Into US

    Two Indians Plead Guilty To Smuggling Foreigners Into US
    Two Indian men here pleaded guilty before a district court to charges of illegally smuggling foreign nationals to the US, the media reported.

    Two Indians Plead Guilty To Smuggling Foreigners Into US

    India Convey Concern Over H1B Visa To US

    India Convey Concern Over H1B Visa To US
    India on Tuesday said it has conveyed its concern to the US over a bill being introduced in the Congress to change rules on H1B visas which is likely to impact the Indian IT industry and Indian techies working in the US.

    India Convey Concern Over H1B Visa To US

    US Effect? Pakistan Puts Lashkar Chief Hafiz Saeed Under House Arrest?

    US Effect? Pakistan Puts Lashkar Chief Hafiz Saeed Under House Arrest?
    Saeed's outlawed group has been involved in the anti-India insurgency in Kashmir and is also accused of several high-profile terror attacks across India.

    US Effect? Pakistan Puts Lashkar Chief Hafiz Saeed Under House Arrest?

    Indian-Origin Lawmaker Urges British PM To Renounce 'Racist' Trump

    Indian-Origin Lawmaker Urges British PM To Renounce 'Racist' Trump
    A senior Indian-origin British MP today wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May to renounce US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban on nationals of seven Muslim countries.

    Indian-Origin Lawmaker Urges British PM To Renounce 'Racist' Trump