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Shootouts rise while cops keep order at fuel lines
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Police at the scene where a body was found in Kandana recently
By Damith Wickremasekara and Senuka Jayakody
The lack of fuel for the police and them being compelled to oversee law and order at filling stations are among factors contributing to a new wave of criminal activities, the Sunday Times learns.
Several deadly shootings have prompted the authorities to call for special operations to track down drug dealers and underworld figures. The police and the Special Task Force will be assigned, a Govt. official said.
“With the implementation of the QR code system at fuel stations, the police can be recalled back to their daily operations,” the official said.
Shootings have increased in the last two months. At least 20 have been killed and most are related to underworld disputes.
The most recent incident was an attempt to assassinate an accused in a case inside Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court while the courts were in session. (See separate story).
This happened a week after a shooting inside a court in Gampaha.
Left to right: The Lunugamvehera victim and his grieving family
The incident was the shooting of Saman Rohitha Perera alias “Pas Podda”on July 27, at the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court.
Police claimed that the shooting took place while policemen were inside the courts, while another report said that the police had only been deployed at one gate, while Rohitha exited from another gate, which was unguarded.
Five people including Rohitha were shot by a man waiting in a car, as they left the court. They had been getting into a cab at the time. Three wounded people were admitted to the Gampaha District General Hospital. Rohitha died later in the day.
Gamini Priyathilaka Thisera, who was wounded died on July 30, on admission to the ICU of Gampaha Hospital. The other person was discharged.
The police suspect that an underworld figure named, “Kehelbaddara Pathme” to have ordered the assassination from Dubai, to avenge the death of his father. An individual named “Mahesh” was involved in the shooting, the police suspect. No one has been arrested.
In a similar shooting incident, Sumudu Rukshan, a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) member of Kotikawatta Pradeshiya Sabha, was killed in Mulleriyawa on Tuesday by two unidentified people who had arrived on a bike.
Among other incidents was the killing of one and injuring of three people in Rathgama last Sunday. A T-56 rifle had been used.
The injured were admitted to the Karapitiya Hospital where one person, aged 45 years, died. The Rathgama Police said the motive is not known.
A biker shot a 56-year-old, who died on admission to the Puttalam Hospital. He had been shot over a land dispute on July 31,
in Norochcholai.
While suspects related to the incident were arrested, the main suspect, who is believed to be the brother of the dead man, is yet to be arrested, the police said.
Similarly, in Lunugamvehera, a 34-year-old was shot dead by his sister’s husband, when he was eating his dinner at home on Thursday.
Meanwhile in another shooting incident reported in Kehelbaddara Gampaha last morning, one person was killed.
In a separate incident a male body with hands and feet tied up and head and feet covered in fertiliser bags was found yesterday at the Dikowita fishing port, in Wattala, Police said.
It has also been revealed that the criminals have been using stolen licence plates.
The Police Media Spokesman, Nihal Thalduwa said there were seven shooting incidents related to organised crime in July, admitting an increase in such incidents.
“Organised criminals are taking advantage of people looking down upon the organisation that upholds the law,’’ Mr Thalduwa said.
A retired deputy inspector general of police, Amarasiri Senaratne, stated that the police are hampered by problems surrounding the protests, fuel, and duty at filling stations. 
He said that police are incapable of performing daily operations related to drugs and underworld characters.
“This is because the police are required to perform duties at petrol stations, after which they are fed up and cannot perform further duties.”
Mr. Senaratne also pointed to the lack of fuel for the police.
| Court gunman gets in and out without police scrutinyA defendant in a hearing at Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court on Galle Road figuratively dodged a bullet when an assailant opened fire inside the courtroom on Thursday afternoon. It is not known how the suspect, who missed, evaded a posse of police, and then fled, slipped in carrying a weapon. More than 30 people including lawyers, police, and litigants were in the court at the time. Two defendants were in the witness stand when a man in a white shirt and black trousers stepped forward and opened fire at one of the accused, but missed. The suspect had also attempted to shoot an armed policeman who had been guarding the gate, but failed. The police had chased the suspect for about 200 metres to no avail. Two policemen on duty were suspended on Friday. While the suspect has not been arrested, the police believe the incident to be related to the underworld gangster known as “Harak Kata”. The president of the Mount Lavinia branch of the Bar Association, Athula Ranagala, expressed concern. “The danger of the situation is that the shooter could point his gun in front of the prosecutor himself,” he said. He added that protection should be enforced thoroughly. Mr. Ranagala also said underworld violence can be solved without emergency laws. | |
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