"He has suffered severe injuries including a serious head injury. He is in a state of shock and unable to talk," his colleagues who were right along in the hospital with him said.

Dr Anil Jasinghe, head of the Accident Service of the National hospital, confirmed that Nohyahr had suffered serious injuries on the head and the abdomen but was out of danger.

His colleagues who visited him in hospital said "It looks like grievous hurt and his body was swollen with contusions all over."

Police spokesman Senior DIG N. K. Illangakoon, addressing a hurriedly summoned news briefing in the aftermath of the incident yesterday, said that Noyahr’s wife had lodged a complaint at the Dehiwala police station stating that her husband’s vehicle was parked in front of their house but her husband was missing.

Illangakoon said that around 6.30 in the morning a badly beaten Nohyar had walked home and he had been admitted to the National Hospital with a severe head injury.

"We are not in a position to obtain a statement from the victim because he is not in a position to speak due to the seriousness of the injuries," Illangakoon said.

"His cooperation would assist us very much in our investigations and to apprehend the assailants," he said.

Three special police teams have been deployed to hunt down the Nohyar’s assailants but so far they have not come across any clue that could lead to an arrest, he said.

SP Leslie Gunawardane leads one of the teams. A team from Colombo Crime Division is led by SSP Anura Senanayake.

Asked if the police received any complaints earlier from Noyahr that there have been threats to his life and that he had enemies, Illangakoon answered in the negative.

President Rajapaksa has ordered a full investigation he said.

When The Island contacted the Editor of ‘The Nation’ Lalith Alahakoon he condemned the assault on Noyahr and said "It’s a blatant crime and an act of terrorism. The perpetrators of this crime have assaulted an unarmed man who couldn’t defend himself." Alahakoon described him as a very friendly outgoing and a harmless person. Relating the events which took place in the last couple of hours prior to his abduction, he said that on the day in question they were discussing their plans for the second anniversary celebrations of ‘The Nation’ and around 8.00 p.m some of them decided to go out for dinner.

"We had dinner at the Queens Café at Duplication Road and Noyahr drove back home alone to his Waidya Road home."

According to his wife, Noyahr called her before he turned into Waidya road from the Galle road and told her that he will be home in a few minutes. But when she opened the door and went out she found her husband’s car parked in front of the house but he was missing, Alahakoon said.

Asked whether the incident was in any way linked to an article published recently in the ‘Senpathi’ column in ‘The Nation’, where a top brass of the military was severely criticized, Alahakoon said that even if it was so, "Nohyar is not solely responsible for this particular column and it was a collective effort and many contribute to this column. Noyahr only gives the finishing touches to it."