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Lanka Gardens fire was deliberately set
Monday May 25, 2009
- Brampton Guardian
Brampton fire investigators have confirmed that an early-morning fire at a local Sri Lankan restaurant was deliberately set.
Community members are convinced a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the front window of Lanka Gardens just after 2:30 a.m. Friday, but investigators would not confirm that information. The restaurant is located on Wexford Road in the Kennedy Road/Bovaird Drive area.
After the fire, members of the Sri Lankan community, including Sri Lanka’s very vocal consul-general to Canada, blamed Tamil Tigers for the crime.
Police would not say if they are investigating the fire as a hate crime or if they have any suspects.
The incident has shaken members of the local Sinhalese Sri Lankan community. They say they fear retribution for the violence in their homeland.
There are approximately 6,000 Tamil-speaking residents in Brampton, according to the Census, and even fewer Sinhalese Sri Lankans, according to community members.
One resident said Lanka Gardens was the only Sinhalese restaurant in the GTA, and customers would come from all over to eat there.
Members of the Sri Lankan community met Monday morning with two Peel police inspectors from 22 Division— which is investigating the fire— to voice their concerns about their safety.
Peel police Const. Marlene Murphy said police have not seen an increase in safety issues within the Sri Lankan community, but police wanted to hear what members of the community had to say.
“We in the Sri Lankan community that are Sinhalas, we have a feeling that our lives are in danger now,” Brampton resident Asoka Perera said after the fire Friday. “It could be a restaurant, it could be a house, or it could be any person. People in the community tell me they live in fear.”
The restaurant is owned by husband and wife Ranjit and Chandrika Tilakaratne.
Chandrika Tilakaratne said the couple had not received any verbal threats, but had received random, non-threatening phone calls warning them to “be careful”.
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