CO882-10 — Page 106

107

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

I b b b kl

196

Ahamed Saibo's shop at the time it was being attacked. The Magistrate gave him over to Pakir Ali. I did not see fourth accused at all.

It being 5.0 p.m., the Court adjourned to 10.30 a.m. the following day. The Court visited the scene of the riots before hearing further evidence. Counsel for the defence and the Special Commissioner were present, Police Sergeant Pakir Ali, No. 598, Gampola.

""

On the 29th May, about 7.30 p.m., I saw the tenth accused with about seven or eight other Sinhalese in Ambegamuwa Street. He said: "The Mohammedans are breaking the Salada Maligawa at Kandy; let us all go and beat the Mohammedans.' He told that to the people there. Then all the Moorish boutique keepers closed their boutiques at 8.0 p.m., there being a panic. The usual closing time was about 10.0 or 11.0 p.m. I informed the magistrate. About 9.0 o'clock I saw a crowd of about twenty or thirty Sinhalese with sticks on the road. On being questioned they told me they had come to hear bana preaching. There was no such preaching, so I asked them About 10.0 p.m. I saw to go away, and they went towards the Kadugannawa road. the first accused leading a bogus procession from his house. There were about fifty Sinhalese men in it. The ninth accused was with them. They went towards the Pangala, making a great noise, shouting "Allah," "Hulla," and "Sadhu." The pro- cession was not a licensed one. I also saw the eleventh and twelfth accused in the procession About 10.0 o'clock I saw the procession returning and going towards Mahara, the fifth accused's house. I saw the first, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth accused in the procession on its return from the Pansala, but on its return from On the 30th Mahara there was only the first accused. He was returning alone. crowds were assembling in Gampola from about 5.30 to 6.40 p.m., coming in from outside. I saw Costa, who is a clerk under the fourth accused, preaching near the junction to about 150 Sinhalese. I saw the sixth accused at the time turning into Kandy Street. About 6.40 pm. I saw the third accused leaving his house on his motor-cycle towards Sinhapitiya and return. He left the house about 6.0 o'clock and returned shortly after. I saw the second accused going from the house of the third accused towards the railway station. About 6.40 p.m. I saw the first and eighth accused coming with a crowd from the direction of the first accused's house towards Ambegamuwa road. There were about ten or fifteen men. I saw the eleventh accused near the junction in the crowd. He was drunk and creating a disturbance. He told me: "To-day is the day in which the bowels must be taken out of every one and put round their necks." He told it in general. There was a big crowd of Sinhalese and they could hear him. Just then the first and eighth accused passed that way, when the eleventh accused took up something and banged at Pena Sena's boutique. All the Sinhalese men pelted stones at the Moorish boutiques. The first and eighth accused went towards Ambegamuwa Street, where I saw the there was a crowd pelting stones and damaging Moorish boutiques. fourteenth accused and one William, pelting stones at Ahamed Saibo's boutique at the junction near Kandy Road. He was in a crowd, and others in it were also pelting stones at the shop of Ahamed Saibo. I saw the fifteenth accused arrested by the Magistrate about 6.40 or 7.0 o'clock. The Magistrate asked me to take him to the station. I said I knew the man and could arrest him at any time, and I let him go. The fifteenth accused had a stick in his hand. At that time they were damaging saw the ninth Moorish boutiques in Ambegamuwa Street and Kandy Street. accused after the Magistrate came. He told the crowd:"Stop, stop!' The rioting went on till late into the night. I received an injury to my head and had to retire to the station about 7.0 or 7.30, and did not come back. Never saw a regular proces- sion like this--no flowers--no permit for it.

Police Constable Ahamed, No. 1392, Gampola.

On the 30th May, about 7.30 or 8.0 p.m., I saw a large crowd of Sinhalese pelting stones at Moorish boutiques and houses along Ambegamuwa and Kandy Streets.

his house identified the first, second, and third accused. I saw the first accused

pass with about fifty to sixty Sinhalese people armed with clubs, etc., behind him. He was giving orders to them to pelt stones at the Moorish boutiques, and had a stick in his hand. I saw the second accused with an armed crowd at the junction. He told them to pelt stones at Ahamed Saibo's shop, and they did so. I saw the third accused with an armed crowd opposite his house. He had a gun in his hand. He was telling the people to pelt stones at Ahamed Saibo's shop. I was in plain clothes. I am a Malay. I was off duty and on my way back to the police station.

197

Police Constable Velupillai, No. 2158, Gampola.

I was on Ambegamuwa Road on the 30th May, in uniform, from 4.30 or 5.0 till 7.30 or 8.0 p.m. I saw the first accused, about 5.30 p.m., coming from the direction of the Roman Catholic School with about 100 Sinhalese towards the junction. About three-quarters of an hour after that they began looting the boutiques, starting from the junction and spreading along Ambegamuwa Road and Kandy Street. Stones were flying about, and I was struck. I went to the police station. About 12.0 o'clock the Magistrate came. He got some of us constables together, and we marched towards the mosque.

On the way I saw the twelfth accused near the house of the first accused on the road. He was in front of a crowd and had a club in his hand. The crowd were armed with clubs, etc. We went towards the mosque and found a large crowd attacking it. They were armed Sinhalese. I saw the eighth accused talking to the people who were attacking the mosque, which was sacked. He was not armed. I saw the fourteenth accused with a club near Costa's shop on my return from the mosque. He was alone. Sergeant Sandanayake took the club from him and sent him away.

Police Constable Dingiri Banda, No. 1902, Gampola.

On the 30th May, about 8.0 p.m., I saw the fifth accused coming from Mahara side at the head of about thirty or forty armed Sinhalese. They went towards the junction, and there was rioting in the town. I was in charge of the police station, and continued in charge while the rioting went on. About midnight I accompanied the Magistrate with a party towards the mosque. On the way I saw the fourteenth accused at the junction. He had a club and was with ten or twenty Sinhalese, some of whom were armed. Sergeant Sandanayake took his club and we dispersed the crowd, and continued on our way towards the mosque. I saw the twelfth accused near the house of the first accused, at his gate. I saw him before I saw the fourteenth accused. He was with about twenty or twenty-five Sinhalese, some of whom were armed. He had a club, which Sergeant Sandanayake threw away, and we dispersed the crowd. We went and found the mosque had been sacked. On our return I saw the first accused near the police station. He was coming from the direction of Mahara with about fifteen or twenty Sinhalese, some of whom were armed. He had a stick in his hands and was in front of the crowd. We drove them back. The first accused went into his bungalow.

Police Constable U800f, No. 740, Gampola.

On

On the 30th May I was near the junction on duty from about 5.0 or 5.30 till about 6.30 p.m. During the afternoon crowds began to collect, and then stones were thrown. I saw the eleventh accused throwing stones at Ibrahim Saibo's shop. Then the stone-throwing became general, and I was struck and went to the station. the way I saw the first accused coming from Mahara side with about fifty to a hun- dred Sinhalese. He was at the head. They went towards the junction. This was about 6.30 p.m.

M. S. Mohideen Saibo.

I am a salesman in Ahamed Saibo's store in Gampola. On the 30th May crowds were gathering at the junction. I closed the shop and remained downstairs with Abdul Cader. We closed the shop about 6.0 o'clock. A crowd collected opposite, and I saw the first, second, and third accused in the crowd. They had sticks. The first, second, and third accused ordered the people to break Ahamed Saibo's shop. The third accused also told the people to break into the boutique. The crowd then broke open the planks, when we ran away. I went out through the crowd-no one hurt me. Did not see Police Magistrate or officers. I returned the following morning and found the things had been looted and some burnt on the road.

S. N. Abdul Cadir,

I am a salesman in Ahamed Saibo's shop. On the 30th May we closed the shop about 6.0 or 6.30 p.m. because all the other boutiques closed, expecting a disturbance. The crowd approached our boutique, and I saw the first, second, and third accused. All three asked the people to break our boutique. The crowd then broke into it, and Saw through chink in planks. Did not see Police Magistrate or police.

I ran away. I returned the following morning and found everything looted and the boutique smashed up

Reference :-

C.O.

882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO