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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882/10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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it, and burn it. I saw all that. I saw the first accused after, again at about 12.0 midnight. I saw him inside my house when he was arrested. I told the Inspector- General of Police he was one of the ringleaders. I cannot say whether he was in liquor. I saw the second accused at about 5.0 or 4.0 p.m. on the road with a crowd. They were not armed at that time. They were going towards the direction of their temple. I did not see him after that. I saw the third accused at about 4.0 or 4.30 in a different crowd of Sinhalese. They were not armed at the time. They were going in the Colombo direction. I did not see the crowd leaving the town. I did not see the third accused again. I saw the fourth at about 4.0 or 4.30, returning from the temple with a different crowd of about 200 Sinhalese. They were not armed I did not see that crowd leaving the town. I did not see him again. I saw the fifth at the same time also in a crowd of Sinhalese. I did not see the crowd leaving the town I did not see him again. I saw the sixth at the same time in one of these crowds. I did not see that crowd too leaving the town. I saw the seventh with a crowd. I did not see the eighth. Nor did I see the ninth. I saw the schoolmaster at about 4.30 in a different crowd. That also did not leave the town. I saw him going with the crowd. My boutique was broken into that night and goods in it removed. I cannot identify any of the men who broke my boutique. It was broken at 7.30 or 8.0 o'clock. I cannot say who took part.
!
Cross-examined: From the early morning people collected to break Moor boutiques. When the crowds gathered we did not close our boutiques. We closed them at 6.0 p.m. All the boutiques were closed at 6.0. After 6.0 we closed the boutiques and hid by the backs of the houses here and there. From about 6.0 people filled the streets in Kadugannawa. When I saw the breaking of the mosque I was in a small jungle in front of the mosque. was hiding there. The mosque is near the road. Beyond the mosque there is the jungle. My boutique is on the same side of the road as the mosque. I was hiding in the jungle opposite the mosque.
I saw that the first accused was the first man who struck the mosque. I can swear to that. I cannot say who struck my boutique.
I saw the second accused at 4.30 or 5.0. I was examined by Mr. Stevenson ten
I told him I saw him.
days ago.
Counsel for defence: What you say you stated is not recorded here.
Witness: I said so.
Counsel: Do you mean to say that this has been incorrectly taken down. Witness. That is what I told him.
I
Witness (continuing): I do not know anything about the fifth accused. found Mamaduwela vidane passing the mosque when I was in my boutique. I saw the sixth accused also at the same time. I am employed under another man. These beadmen have small tea plantations. They sell their tea to Sinhalese as well as Moors. I did not buy from any of these people
I know the fourth accused. I saw him at 4.0 or 4.30. I did not see him after. He had a flower, and was saying
I saw the seventh accused at the same time.
Sadhu." I saw him returning from the temple. This is what I said to the Special Commissioner: "I saw the seventh in the town. He had some flowers in his hand and was accompanied by large crowds He was walking in the direction of Kandy. I did not see him again." I saw him going towards Kandy, and returning also. I did not see any weapon in the hand of the fourth. I did not see him do anything. I saw Mr. Jones that day at about 4.0 o'clock. He was walking about the street. I was in the verandah of my boutique. At that time my boutique was opened.
Mohideen Pichche, affd.
I was
I am a trader at Kadugannawa. My boutique is close to the mosque. in my boutique on the 30th May. I saw a large crowd of people coming to break the mosque. It was at about 4.30. First accused was in the crowd. He was the only man there I saw. I heard him ask the people to break the mosque. He said: To break the mosque at 4.30." They did not break it then. I saw the first accused going into the mosque. I saw him come out after remaining inside for fifteen minutes, and then the crowd came to the town past my boutique. I saw the crowd pass my boutique in the direction of the mosque later, at 5.30 or 6.0. In that crowd I saw seventh, fourth, and third. That was about 6.0 o'clock. They were coming in the direction of the mosque. The crowd was armed at the time. Third accused had an iron bar. The fourth accused had a crowbar. Seventh had a pickaxe. They got
I heard the
I saw the
was
up to the mosque. I did not see them damaging the mosque. noise of the mosque being broken into. I did not see them. first accused in the crowd that went to the mosque just before it broken. I saw the fifth in the crowd. The first accused was armed with an iron bar. Fifth had a pickaxe. I saw eleventh in the crowd that went to the mosque just before it was attacked. He had a flower. He was asking the people to pull down the mosque He said: We want to pul! down the mosque and the Moor boutiques.". I heard that boutiques were broken before the mosque was attacked. It was after I heard that the mosque was broken into that my boutique was broken. My boutique was broken at about 9.0 o'clock. The planks were closed. I was inside. I heard the planks being struck from outside. I saw the fifth come into my boutique with other Sinhalese. Fifth had a weapon-a pickaxe. I did not hear him say anything then. People looted my boutique. I saw no other accused then. I did not see any other boutiques being broken into after that. was hiding.
I
My
Cross-examined: I am living in the same boutique as the last witness. hiding place at the time was in front of the mosque. It is a place in the bill on the opposite side of the mosque. I saw Sawul Hamidu. We were all together among some bushes, I was there when the mosque was attacked. I saw these accused attacking the mosque. Last witness was with me then. The last witness's bouti- que is close by the mosque. I can't say who attacked it.
To Court: I did not see all the headmen attack the mosque. I saw the first, second, third, tenth, and fourteenth. When I was hiding there were hundreds of people surrounding the mosque. The damaging of the mosque took place before it was set fire to-about half an hour before. I saw the eleventh at 6.0 p.m. going with flowers.
I got frightened about 3.0 o'clock. I closed my boutique and remained inside. My boutique was broken into at 9.0 p.m. The fifth accused came into my boutique and I ran away. I ran by the back door and went near the mosque. When Mr. Devane came I was at Colombo. I came to Kandy from Colombo on the 7th. I know Omeru Abdul Cader. He had property of the Moormen in the boutique unoccupied. In the morning he sent that property to his house. I did not give the name of the tenth accused to Mr. Stevenson, nor that of the fourth. I did not say that either the fourth, the seventh, nor the tenth did anything. Next morning I was in Kadu- gannawa. I saw Mr. Woodman there. The headmen were with him. I know Mr. Jones, engine driver. I did not see him there.
Re-examined by Crown Counsel; I went to the vacant house on the 8th. There was nothing there when I went. We did not complain to Mr. Woodman through fear that we would be molested.
Mr. Stevenson, sworn.
I inquired into this case as Special Commissioner. I recorded the evidence of the last witness-Mohideen Pichche.
I remember witness giving evidence. I did not ask him who the other members of the crowd were. The reason for not doing so was that I did not wish the wit- nesses examined at length for my inquiry. I examined him more fully of what has been done to his boutique.
Cross-examined: When these witnesses came before me 1 think some of these accused were there. My investigation was conducted by means of direct questions asking them what they knew.
Mr. G. S. Woodman, sworn.
Special Commissioner. I went to Kadugannawa on police duty. I searched the vacant house said to belong to the fifth accused on the 4th of June. It was on a Saturday. I found some bags--bags of rice, marked A.K.O. in green letters. The fifth accused was not arrested then. I had information against him, and that is why I searched his house and found these things. Then the matter passed to Mr. Devane's hands. Before my presence he did not come and say that these were given in charge for safe keeping.
Cross-examined: I sent to arrest the fifth accused. Before he was brought I was relieved, and Mr. Devane took up my duty.
Tamby Lebbe Bawa, affd.
Boutique keeper, living at Ganetenna, which is three miles from Kadugan- nawa. On the 30th May I was returning to my village. I met a large crowd of It was more than a thousand. The crowd was armed. I met them at
Sinhalese.