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| Tuesday, 6 May 2003 |
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The Laksala Robbery It was a fine October Monday morning. The weather was nice and cool and the birds atop the large lone tree at York Street in Colombo Fort were whistling merrily. The General Manager was in a fit frame of mind as he stepped into Laksala at York Street. Over three decades ago it was, as it is now, a prime centre for everything indigenous from handicrafts to jewellery. But the calm and quiet at Laksala was shattered by the discovery that jewellery and a number of other items were missing. The GM broke into a cold sweat. Laksala was thought to be quite secure as its keys are handed over after close to the Fort Police. OIC Crime at the Police Station, G. S. Stevens was promptly informed and he rushed to Laksala and commenced investigations. After an inventory, police found Rs. 150,000 worth of jewellery, sarees and other articles missing. Inspector Stevens and his team of sleuths scouted round the shop to find how the robbers had gained entrance. The shop was closed for that day and the staff assisted in the investigations. The inspector went upto the top floor and examined the ceiling. A large square hole had been sawed through the ceiling. Flashing his torch, the policeman found that several tiles had been removed and replaced in a hurry. The thieves had gained entry through the Laksala roof. The Staff Assistant of Laksala told police that when he arrived, things looked as usual, until he went up to the third floor to leave his packet of lunch in the canteen. The canteen door had been forced open and the place had been ransacked. Inspector Stevens returned to the police station and detailed a special squad to work on the Laksala burglary. He instructed his men to interview all known criminals in the area. Two days later, they received information that Sunil, a docker was involved in the crime. A check with the port authorities and the police had his address. Sunil was imbibing of a bottle of arrack when the police called on him. He was taken to the police station where under interrogation he confessed that the man who planned the robbery was Simon of Fort. This man was a well known criminal. The two decided that Saturday evening was ideally suited for the robbery. They would be secure to carry out their crime without fear or being spotted. The two robbers had clambered up a drain pipe and reached the roof of the two storeyed building at dusk. They had then removed the tiles from above the toilet and slipped in. They went into the canteen and broke open the door with an iron rod, using gloves to avoid leaving any fingerprints. Using a screw driver they removed the hasp and staple of the door of the sections which contained the jewellery, sarees and other valuables. There was silver, there was gold and gems. They had the audacity to return to the canteen and have buns and plantains for their lunch. They went back up the roof and using a makeshift ladder, replaced the tiles on the roof. They then went to Baillie Street and thereafter to Mahabage, where they sought shelter in the house of Lalitha, a close relative of Simon. Lalitha's daughter inquired as to what this large parcel was and Simon quietly whispered it was ganja. Some sarees were sold at Rs. 100 each. The rest of the loot was found securely wrapped in polythene in a five foot deep well. Some of the jewellery had been sold to a fence in Pettah. The two were sentenced to fair stretches at Welikada prison after trial in court. |
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