Astrologer arrested as his predictions are not cool

A Sri Lankan astrologer was arrested and is being interrogated for his predictions made at a meeting held at the Sri Kotha office of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), and is being detained in the office of the Criminal Investigation Department., Police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara told media Thursday. The astrologer had allegedly predicted that the present Prime Minister would be appointed President on September 9 and the opposition leader would be made the Prime Minister.

Chandrasiri Bandara was arrested after he made these predictions on June 18, police said.

Mr. Bandara, popular astrologer among Sinhalese community, writes a weekly astrological column in a weekend Sinhala newspaper and also conducts a television programme on the same subject.

Police spokesman said the CID was questioning him to find out the basis for predicting such drastic changes.

Meanwhile, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said in a statement Thursday condemned the arrest of astrologer and said the present government is becoming a military dictatorship.

The Government has started to even control the astrological columns in the newspapers as well, Attanayake said.

“The only crime Mr Bandara committed was to publish an astrological column adverse to the government,” Mr. Attanayake said in the statement.

Separately, a columnist who usually covers astrology was picked up late on Wednesday by men with identity cards from the Criminal Investigation Department. His wife said he was still being held 24 hours later.