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Murder most foul: Brutality on increase, say police
View(s):The New Year party at which K.T.H. Sameera was enjoying himself turned deadly when a fellow villager turned to him for a cigarette. Many of the villagers of Mahaoya, in the Wagaspitiya area, were at the party on the evening of April 15.
An angry Gamini Jinadasa landed one blow after another on Sameera’s head when Sameera refused to give him a cigarette.
A mason by trade, Gamini used his leveller, a masonry tool, to kill Sameera, a 32-year-old retired sailor. Sameera succumbed to his injuries on the way to the Mahaoya Hospital.
M. Mahinda sat down for a drink with his buddy on the night of the 13th, hoping to have a cheerful start to the New Year. But things took a nasty turn after both had consumed a substantial amount of alcohol and one remembered an unsettled loan given to the other.
The argument, over an amount of just Rs.100, grew worse and Mahinda paid for the loan with his life: his buddy stabbed him to death. The police have recovered the murder weapon and are conducting further investigations.
On Wednesday, police received information about a body on the side of the Hulandawa-Moneragala road, near Donanwatta. The police determined that the death had been caused by a beating. The murdered man, 47-year-old W.R. Ranjith Weerasinhe, was a local resident. Police are still conducting investigations on the matter and no arrests have been made.
Since the beginning of this month, more than 22 people have been killed either in premeditated acts or as a result of sudden rage. Most of the incidents came about through stabbings, attacks with blunt instruments or shooting.
The brutality of the murders is increasing.
“The majority of the incidents are private matters where individuals engaged in arguments became violent. Most of the murders were a result of sudden anger,” said police spokesperson, S.S.P. Ajith Rohana.
Experts say that the main reason for the increased violence and brutality is that violence is commonplace in this post-war society.
Former DIG Nimal Madiwake said that although crimes had decreased in number they had grown in brutality.
The main reason was the breakdown of law and order in today’s society, he said.
“When people commit a crime they think that they can get away with it even after being apprehended,” he said. “The death sentence is not carried out and they know they can easily get away from other punishments also,” he said.
Referring to his experience in dealing with crime in the western province he said, strengthening interactions with the public is the key in dealing with the issue. The police also need to gain the confidence of the people he said.
“The Neighbourhood Watch system, implemented through Community police when I was in the western province, was instrumental in shattering the entire LTTE network in Colombo. This was during the height of hostilities. The strategy has proven to be strong and should be considered again,” he said.
Highlighting the need for the police to be in close contact with the community he said the police needed to win back the trust of the people. the public now does not want to go to the police as they think they would face negative repercussions.
“The public thinks that the offending party will get to know through the police and they would have to face more hardships. So they don’t even go to the police now. If things are to change then this attitude has to change,” he said.