The Colombo Magistrate yesterday (22) ordered the Directors of ITN and Rupawahini to reveal the names of those who handed over the video clip of a child claiming his mother had been detained by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The video clip in question was simultaneously telecasted through state media prior to the Presidential Election. On the video the child says that his mother is being held captive by the Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena and the child pleads for her safe return.

Asian Mirror earlier reported that Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Chamila Kumari Dissanayake, the mother, lodged a complaint with the police claiming that her child was forcibly used for an election ad supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa. She added that her husband took away the child on December 26. She said she only saw the child thereafter when he appeared on TV, on December 30.

After the initial investigation, Police reported to court that the father of the child had taken away the child without the consent of the mother and the grandmother who were the guardians of the child

However, the Colombo Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage yesterday ordered the Directors of the two state-run television stations to handover the video clip to the Women's and Children's Bureau.

The child was kept under the Bureau on January 15 and was granted bail of Rs 200, 000 by the Colombo Magistrate yesterday.

(Hasitha Ayeshmantha)