Police have launched an investigation into the abduction of a schoolgirl, an incident that has been widely circulated on social media.
The kidnapping took place on the morning of January 11, 2025, in the Daulagala Police Division, the police said.
It has been revealed that the Muslim girl, a resident of the Handessa area, was abducted by a group of individuals in a van while she was on her way to school with a friend. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the abduction was carried out due to a personal dispute.
The van involved in the incident was located abandoned in the Polonnaruwa area later the same day, the Police Media Division said.
On January 12, officers from the Daulagala Police Station have arrested the driver of the van in the Gampola area. The suspect, a 30-year-old man from Kahatapitiya, Gampola, is currently in custody, according to police.
Meanwhile, three police teams have been deployed to locate the abducted girl and apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the kidnapping.
