Schoolgirl abducted in Kandy found in Ampara, suspect arrested

Police have located the schoolgirl abducted in Daulagala, Kandy on Saturday (11).

The schoolgirl, along with the primary suspect involved in the abduction have been found by the police while they were boarded on a luxury bus that was scheduled to depart for Kandy near the Ampara Bus Stand today (13).

However, the suspect has now been arrested and the interrogations of the girl and the suspect are underway.

The abduction took place on the morning of January 11, 2025, in the Daulagala Police Division. Preliminary investigations had revealed that the primary suspect is a close relative—the son of the girl’s father’s sister.

Police said that the suspect abducted the girl following a disagreement over their proposed marriage. Initially, both families had consented to the union, but the girl’s father later withdrew his approval, triggering the conflict, according to police.

The schoolgirl, a resident of Handessa, was abducted on the morning of January 11 while on her way to school with a friend.

The van used in the abduction was discovered abandoned in Polonnaruwa by local police the same day. Subsequently, officers from Daulagala Police apprehended the van driver, a 30-year-old resident of Kahatapitiya, Gampola, in the Gampola area on January 12.