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Illegal sand mining: Fourteen suspects in custody
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
Fourteen suspects have been taken into custody for attacking a police officer who attempted to stop illegal sand mining at Deduruoya. The suspects have been remanded until May 9 after the police strongly objected to releasing the suspects on bail.

Police inspector Karunadheera was attacked on March 30 when he had gone to arrest a group of men mining sand illegally in Singan Daluwa, near the Deduru Oya. More than hundred of them had been at the place when the Inspector was attacked.

Inspector Karunadheera was admitted to the ColomboNational Hospital with serious injuries to his eyes. He is still undergoing treatment at the police hospital. Among the suspects arrested were Arachchige Mahinda Kumarasiri and Ramanayake Appuge Sisira Kumara.

They have been authorised to mine sand at two locations but are allegedly conducting sand mining operations at 42 unauthorized locations. Earlier the police were accused of not taking prompt action against the suspects.
The suspect Mahinda Kumarasiri is said to own an illegal food outlet at Boraluwewa on land owned by the Government.

Though this land belongs to the Wayamba Development Bank it has been alleged that with the patronage of parliamentarian Kumari Tennakoon’s Kumarasiri has illegally put up his food outlet at this spot.

But after the attack on the police Inspector and the media exposure and follow up on the incident had prompted minister S.B.Navinna, to call Soma Kumari and question her about her supporters being involved in illegal sand mining.

However the illegal sand miners are reported to have now obtained the support of Deputy Health Minister Jayaratne Herath. A number of attempts to get bail for the suspects had been foiled with the police refusing bail for the suspects.

The lawyer appearing for the suspects who is the deputy minister’s wife had called the DIG of the area and asked why the suspects have not been bailed out.

The Sunday Times spotlighted the failure by the police to take any action for more than three weeks even though it was one of their colleagues who was set upon by the illegal sand miners.

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