Massive land grabbing racket in Mihintale, businessman accused

• He had occupied by  force an area of 18 acres of the forest reserve

By Upali Ananda  

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.