Sri Lankan minister ordered to appear in court

A Sri Lankan court on Friday issued notice to the country's health minister and his son to appear in court on April 2 over the alleged abduction of an underage girl, Xinhua news agency reported.

The parents of the girl last week told journalists that Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne's son, Eksath Senaratne, had abducted their underaged daughter last year and since then neither did they know her whereabouts nor whether their daughter was dead or alive.

"One may ask, what took so long to reveal this. But Rajitha Senaratne is a powerful politician. We eventually had to step forward as justice was not served," said Gamini Ranasinghe, the father of the girl.

The parents of the girl alleged that the minister's son had initially abducted their daughter on February 14 last year, but the girl returned after the family lodged a complaint with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). Officers of the NCPA had intervened which had eventually led to the girl's returning home.

However, the girl's mother Indra Rodrigo alleged that the minister's son once again abducted the teenager on April 6 and they have since then not met their daughter.

Minister Senaratne last week denied the allegations and said it was a "mudslinging campaign" carried out against him due to his efforts to topple the previous government.