Deputy Inspector Gunawardena, the Acting Station Commander of Anti-Corruption Division of Narammala Police, who shot and killed a lorry driver on the road claiming that he was driving in defiance of police orders, has been remanded till the 23rd after being produced before the Narammala Magistrate’s Court.
This officer was appointed as the Acting Station Commander of the Anti-Corruption Division of the Narammala Police after the then station commander was arrested by the Bribery or Corruption Investigation Commission on the 16th when he was taking a bribe of Rs. 10,000 from an illegal liquor dealer with the help of a police constable.
Police information stated that this sub-inspector had left the police station yesterday morning (18) stating that he was going on anti-corruption raids. The police information stated that it was not recorded that this officer or the other officers were dressed in civilian clothes and that they were walking in official clothes.
Police information stated that this officer left the police station in civilian clothes with a female officer and two officers of the anti-corruption division without the permission of any of the higher officials to conduct raids related to the ‘Yukthiya’ operation.
Police Sergeant Amaratunga (40925), Constable Kulasekera (72817) and Lady Constable Balasuriya (9516) went on the anti-corruption raid with this officer.
During this afternoon, these officers, who were surrounded in the Narammala police domain, were unable to arrest any suspect and reached the police station in the afternoon. There, these officers stayed for some time inside the police station after taking lunch without leaving notices of termination of duty.
Police information stated that after lunch, the sergeant and the female constable had taken a rest and stayed at the police station and the sub-inspector travelled with police constable Kulasekara on the officer’s private motorcycle with the intention of catching someone to complete the number of raids for the day.
After leaving a police station, these two officers went around again until the evening, but they were unable to arrest any of the suspects. The sub-inspector, who was reluctant to return to the police station empty-handed, was standing near the Narammala Halwella junction when a Demo Batta-type lorry bearing the number SG PQ 7238 passed from that place.
A carpenter named KA Roshantha Kumarasiri (41) who is a resident of Maharachchimulla Vatthekanda area was traveling in this vehicle. The police revealed that this carpenter and his lorry are known to the residents of Narammala as well as the police.
The police said that the sub-inspector had signaled to stop this lorry at that time. Police also said that he may have asked the vehicle to stop thinking of finding illegal wood inside.
As this officer was dressed in civilian clothes in the dark, the lorry drove continuously without stopping.
It has been found from the preliminary investigations that the police has done so far that the sub-inspector chased the vehicle and stopped the vehicle near the GS vegetable store in Rammuthugala, Narammala. As the locks were removed and the sub-inspector was in a state of panic at that time, it was found during the investigation that the firearm had been activated by him.
The Kuliyapitiya Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureau is conducting the criminal investigation regarding this shooting under the full supervision of Mr. Mahesh Kumarasinghe, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kuliyapitiya Division. The Senior Superintendent of Police mentioned that measures were taken to suspend the sub-inspector who fired his gun. He also said that the fired firearm has also been taken into police custody and will be submitted to the analyst.
On the instructions of the Acting Inspector General of Police to conduct an internal police investigation regarding this shooting, a team of officers from the Special Investigation Bureau of Police also came to Narammala yesterday (19). The officials had taken the police books into their custody and started investigations.