Ransom demands for missing Rathgama businessmen

Colombo (News 1st): Various information is being reported about the two Rathgama businessmen who are believed to have been abducted and murdered. However, according to the relations of the abductees, they have been receiving telephone calls continuously demanding ransom money. Manjula Asela and Rasheen Chinthaka, two businessmen from Rathgama went missing on the 23rd of last month. The Criminal Investigation Department revealed that they had been killed and burnt. However, the relatives of the victims said that they have been receiving ransom calls from 22nd of this month. The father of one of the abductees noted that on the 21st at around 4.30 PM two police officers came on a traffic bike looking for Manjula's house and had requested for a telephone number. He went onto note that after about five minutes, he received a call from the police claiming that their son was safe in Mannar. He noted that the caller noted that it was very difficult to reach there as people are holding them with weapons. The caller had then requested for support from the family. When questioned what kind of support they had mentioned that if the family is to give them Rs. 50,000 by Sunday their son would be returned to them.