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Jaffna was like home to him
By Pushpakumara Jayaratna
Grieving family members of slain Senior Superintendent of Police Charles Wijewardena still find it hard to believe that he had been killed in a place he had considered like his home.

“We visited Jaffna recently and we travelled about at night without any fear. I never expected such a fate would befall him,” the SSPs wife Sriyani told The Sunday Times. Mr. Wiejwardena would often tell his family that he felt no difference whether he was serving in Kurunegala or Jaffna.

The 54-year-old Mr. Wijewardena, the father of two daughters and a son was posthumously promoted Senior Superintendent on Friday by President Kumaratunga. After serving for five years as ASP Kurunegala he was promoted to SP and a year later posted to Jaffna. His wife and children stayed in their official residence in Kurunegala.

“It is about a year since he left for Jaffna. He had no problem with the LTTE and he was friendly with everybody including his colleagues. As far as I know he had no enemies. He came home on the 20th and went back on the 25th saying he would be back to celebrate our daughter’s b’day on a grand scale,” Sriyani said.

“I had told him several times to ask for a transfer but he said he had no problems in Jaffna in spite of intermittent clashes with the LTTE. That may explain why he got down from the vehicle and walked into the mob even when stones were being pelted,” the grieving wife said.

As friends, relatives and senior officers gathered at the residence of the officer, his two daughters, Sonali and Laxmi were browsing through photographs of his police career and sporting days. Born on April 5, 1948 Mr. Wijewardena had his education at Vidyartha and in 1972 he joined the police as a Sub Inspector. He had also served in the Navy before that. His son Imesh following his father’s footsteps also plays Rugby for CR & FC .

“He was more a friend to me than a father. He was happy that I too was a rugger player. When he was in Jaffna I had to keep him posted about all the matches. In 2001, when he was ASP, Kurunegala, he escaped death by a whisker at the height of elections. The incident was a clash between some UNP and SLFP supporters. The police were called in and in the melee a policeman’s firearm went off accidently and the bullet smashed into the rear window of my father’s vehicle after it whisked past his head. My father merely said “narrow escape” and got out of the vehicle much to the relief of others,” Imesh said.

Funeral today
The funeral of SSP Charles Wijewardene will be held at 4.00 pm today with full police honours at the General Cemetery in Kurunegala. Cortege will leave his residence at No. 58, Lake Inner Road North, Kurunegala at 3.30 pm.

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