Maldivian man hospitalized after mugging in Colombo

A Maldivian man who was mugged has been hospitalized with head injuries in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Usman Nooraddeen, 45 years, was in Colombo for a brief medical visit. Doctors say his wounds are not serious, according to his host there.

The host, who was reluctant to give her name, said the Colombo police are yet to make arrests, but progress has been made.

“The police told us they had recovered some of the money from an auto rickshaw driver. But it isn’t clear what happened and how it happened. But we believe Nooraddeen was attacked from behind because wounds are at the back of his head,” she said.

The Thaa Atoll Vilufushi man was in Colombo ahead of another medical trip to India. He had brought money he was saving for surgeries for his son.

The attack, which came just weeks after the discovery of the body of a well-known Maldivian gangster, had initially sparked concern in Malé. Hassan “Rabarey” Razeen’s body was found in an abandoned paddy field on the outskirts of Colombo earlier this month.

His killing coincided with the illegal expulsion of a Maldivian national on the request of the authorities here as well as the arrest of two Sri Lankans in Malé over an alleged assassination attempt on President Abdulla Yameen.

The three incidents prompted Sri Lanka to issue an unprecedented statement warning Maldives against creating regional instability and restore democracy.