News
Homicides on the rise despite state of emergency
A rise in the number of murders has been reported despite a state of emergency in the country and firearms have been used in many of the killings.
According to Police, 271 murders had been reported in the first six months of this year, averaging 45 a month. Last year, on an average 41 killings took place in a month, with the total being 493. Firearms had been used in 49 killings, the Police said.
The 2019 figures do not include those who were killed in the Easter Sunday bomb blasts.
Last year, the Police arrested some 439 suspects and produced them in courts in relation to the 493 killings. Some 239 suspects have been arrested up to June 30th this year in relation the 271 murders reported during the six months.
On Sunday, 34-year-old Ruwan Perera, a restaurateur from Walauwatta in Gangodawila was shot dead while he was reversing his vehicle out onto a main street after attending a party in Jambugasmulla. A passenger in the vehicle was injured and hospitalised. The Police suspect that the killer may have left the Island. A stolen motorbike used for the crime was found abandoned in a nearby suburb.
On the same day in Kossgama, the chief suspect in a double homicide case was hacked to death. The killing took place while he was returning home after visiting the Kosgama Police station. He had been released on bail by a court on condition that he marked his presence at the Kosgama police station every Sunday. He had been arrested in connection with the murder of two women on May 2nd 2018 in Werella. Police have arrested four suspects, including the husband of one of the two murdered women. The assailants had come in a van.
In another incident, two men who failed to prevent the murder of a homeless elderly man at Galewella in Dambulla last week were arrested by police. They were produced before the Dambulla Magistrate and remanded, Police said.
The homeless victim, who is yet to be identified is only known to locals as “Siva” and is believed to be around 70. He had been a beggar and had worked as a contract labourer on an off. ‘Siva’ had often slept at the public lavatory next to the Galewela hospital. He was sleeping at a bus halt when he was attacked.
The killing, caught on CCTV recording, was allegedly committed by a 55-year-old man identified as T.M. Rathanapala. He is a timekeeper at the Dambulla bus terminal. Police suspect that Ratnapala was drunk at the time of the attack. The CCTV footage showed the victim was being bashed to death with a rock by the killer while the two men watched on. Rathnapala was later arrested.
In another case, Police have arrested a suspect linked to the murder of 70-year-old Vishnu Gandhi Walliamma and her son, 34 year-old Vishnu Gandhi Vigneswaran in Killinochchi few days ago. Both victims were found dead in their home in Jayanthi Nagar. The suspect, a neighbour, had led the police to a well in the area and helped recover a mobile phone and a wire which the investigators suspect was the murder weapon.
In Maradana last week a man was shot at and admitted in hospital. Police said the shooting was drug related and they had deployed a team to arrest the suspect.
These killings come in spite of heightened police and security forces presence in the country which has been under a state of emergency since the Easter Sunday attacks in April. The Police also launched a special programme to apprehend illegal fire arms which lasted three months ending in March this year. They have also offered several amnesty periods for such weapons to be handed over. However, firearm related violence contiues.