A Tamil restaurant owner was assaulted and abducted by a Sinhalese bus driver and conductor in Vavuniya on Wednesday.
An argument had broken out the previous day when the assailants were told by T. Subaraj, the owner of the restaurant in Vavuniya’s main bus station that they could not smoke in the premises.
The bus driver and conductor returned to the restaurant the following night while Mr Subaraj was alone, calling him out to talk. While Mr Subaraj obliged, thinking he would be reconciling with the pair, he was knocked unconscious with metal rods, thrown into the bus and driven in the direction of Madawachi.
The assailants dumped Mr Subaraj in Eeraperiyakulam on realising they were being followed on motorbike by the victim’s brother.
Mr Subaraj was admitted to Vavuniya Hospital and remained in intensive care. The bus driver and conductor were arrested by Vavuniya police and their bus was also seized.
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