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CID takes over Rambukkana probe, two cops transferred

22 Apr 2022

  • Funeral of victim today
  • Witness statements recorded at Kegalle MC
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) yesterday (21) directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to conduct an impartial, comprehensive probe into the death of an individual after Police opened fire at protesters in Rambukkana on Tuesday (19) to disperse them, while two officers of the Rambukkana Police and one officer of the Kegalle Police have been transferred with immediate effect. The directives were given to the DIG in charge of the CID, W. Thilakaratne, the Government Information Department said in a statement issued yesterday and the CID will thereby take over the investigations pursuant to Article 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. The IGP has also instructed the CID to submit an interim report within a period of three days. The transferred officers are the Officer in Charge (OIC) and the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rambukkana Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Kegalle Police, the media division of the Sri Lanka Police said. The statement added that the decision was taken to allow the aggrieved parties and witnesses in the Rambukkana shooting incident to take part in the investigations and court proceedings independently. Meanwhile, the final rites of the shooting victim, identified as Chaminda Lakshan, are to be performed today (22) in the Hiriwadunna area in Naranbedda, where he was residing. The IGP has requested the Defence Secretary to deploy the tri-forces to the area until the conclusion of funeral proceedings. Accordingly, the armed forces have been summoned to maintain public peace in Kegalle District pursuant to Gazette Extraordinary dated 21 March 2022. The troops will thereby render their assistance to maintain law and order in Dewalagama, Rambukkana, and Kegalle police areas. Meanwhile, witness statements were obtained yesterday (21) on the second day of the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court’s (MC) proceedings into the Rambukkana Police shooting. The second day of the Court proceedings took place yesterday, where witness statements were obtained. The Court proceedings on 20 April had involved the inquest by the Kegalle Magistrate, who had visited the site of the incident, interviewed witnesses who had voluntarily provided statements to her, and had examined the body of Lakshan. Furthermore, the Magistrate had ordered that witnesses be protected, that the footage of a private media organisation be handed over unedited to the Court, and that closed circuit television (CCTV) footage be obtained. Issues had arisen when the B-report handed over by the Police had contained Tipex-ed (correctional fluid) corrections on it. Meanwhile, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka President President’s Counsel (PC) Saliya Pieris said on 20 April night that, following complaints by lawyers in Kegalle that some witnesses are frightened to give statements regarding what happened at Rambukkana, he had emailed Inspector General of Police Chandana D. Wickramaratne, the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Justice Rohini Marasinghe, and the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses (NAPVCW), seeking their intervention. The letter to the NAPVCW, as shared by Pieris PC via his Facebook, states that injured civilians at the District General Hospital, Kegalle, and other witnesses are afraid of intimidation by Police officers. “I would be grateful if the NAPVCW were to ensure that there is no interference whatsoever with the witnesses by the Police and if directions are given to the Police to ensure that the statements of the witnesses are recorded by Police officers who do not belong to the Stations which were involved in the incident and who will not interfere with the independence of these witnesses.” On 19 April, Police opened fire at protestors near the Rambukkana railway crossing, killing Chaminda Lakshan and leaving over 30 others injured, with three of them still in critical care.


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