Massive land grabbing racket in Mihintale, businessman accused
A businessman of Mihintale is alleged to have illegally occupied an area of about 18 acres in Mihintale forest reserve in Maradankulama on forged land permits.
Anuradhapura Special Crime Investigation Unit has initiated investigations of a complaint made by Anuradhapura Range Forest Conservator Sumith Swaris regarding the forged land permits.
Anuradhapura Addl. Magistrate Kanchana Narthana Abhimani Seneviratne had earlier ordered the Forest Conservation Department to make a complaint to the Crime Investigation Unit regarding the forgery.
The Range Forest Conservator in his complaint stated that the suspect businessman Olupothage Suminda Senadeera had occupied by force an area of 18 acres of the forest reserve and set fire to about six acres of it. He stated that the state forest had been declared as a Mihintale forest reserve in an extraordinary gazette notification.
The forest conservator told police that he made inquiries from Mihintale Divisional Secretary regarding the land permits produced by the suspect businessman to find that any document pertaining to the issue of such land permits was not available in the Divisional Secretariat.
He further stated that one of the permits is purported to have been issued under the signature of Anuradhapura Former Govt. Agent T. K. Dasanayake but the Divisional Secretary has informed the Conservator General of Forests that the signature in the land permit was not that of the former GA. Range Forest Conservator Swaris stated all land permits produced by the businessman are suspected to have been forged.
Anuradhapura Crime Investigation Unit has initiated immediate investigations of the alleged forgery on the instructions of SSP Anuradhapura Division Thilina Hewapathirana. Meanwhile, the case filed by the Forest Conservation Department against the businessman for illegally occupying a part of the forest reserve and setting fire to six acres of it is pending in Anuradhapura Addl. Magistrate’s Court.the case has been postponed for June 26.