Astrologer arrested as his predictions are not cool

by senthil5000 | June 25, 2009 at 10:18 pm
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Astrologer arrested as his predictions are not cool

Astrologer arrested as his predictions are not cool

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Yes. Its in Sri Lanka. The astrologer named Chandrasiri Bandara, writing for a sinhalese newspaper was arrested and is being interrogated for the predictions he made. He predicted that present primeminister would be appointed president and the opposition leader will be made the primeminister.

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.


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1
Suranee

COLOMBO (Reuters) - A popular Sri Lankan astrologer was unable to foresee his own arrest after his family said on Friday he had been taken into custody by police for making an unfavourable political prediction against the president.

The police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested astrologer Chandrasiri Bandara after he predicted political changes unfavourable to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting of the main opposition United National Party.

"He is being questioned over a political statement he made," police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said, without elaborating.

Given that many Sri Lankans give credence to astrological predictions, astrologers can play a role in influencing decisions at the voting booth and have done so in the past.

1
Suranee

Bandara predicted in the pro-opposition weekly that a planetary change on October 8 was unfavourable to the ruling People's Alliance of the President despite its current popularity following the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

The crushing of the Tigers last month has made the government more popular and prompted it to go for snap local elections to its key bodies soon.

However, astrologer Bandara predicted that the country would be beset with economic and political problems towards the end of this year.

He also predicted a gloomy and dangerous period for journalists in Sri Lanka, which is already one of the most dangerous places for scribes with over a dozen of them killed in the past few years. 

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Priyanthi Balasuriya

Full Name : Baladarage Priyanthi balasuriya

Date of Birth : 1971.03.02 - 21.37 h (09.37 p.m)

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First Flagged at 10:55 PM, Jun 25, 2009 by Suranee
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