'Principled journalism brings danger' - Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
09 SEPTEMBER 2013 
BY ATHULA WITHANAGE
In the early hours of Saturday 24th of August, the 'Sunday Leader's Associate Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema woke up to find a group of armed men in her bedroom. As one threatened her at knife point demanding valuables, the rest browsed through her files and documents. But within hours, tipped off by her journalist husband, the police stormed the house which resulted in the death of an assailant while the rest were taken into custody. Despite their swift action, the police were quick to label the attack as an ordinary case of burglary even before any conclusive investigation was conducted. Among other things, the 'extraordinary interest' showed by the so-called burglars in examining the documents belonging to the journalists were conveniently overlooked while the question why a gang of burglars spent over two hours in her house remain still unanswered.
In the early hours of Saturday 24th of August, the 'Sunday Leader's Associate Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema woke up to find a group of armed men in her bedroom. As one threatened her at knife point demanding valuables, the rest browsed through her files and documents. But within hours, tipped off by her journalist husband, the police stormed the house which resulted in the death of an assailant while the rest were taken into custody. Despite their swift action, the police were quick to label the attack as an ordinary case of burglary even before any conclusive investigation was conducted. Among other things, the 'extraordinary interest' showed by the so-called burglars in examining the documents belonging to the journalists were conveniently overlooked while the question why a gang of burglars spent over two hours in her house remain still unanswered.
