Update: Five arrested over policeman’s death

Five suspects including a Buddhist monk has been arrested over the death of a policeman who succumbed to his injuries after an assault incident in the Kebithigollewa area last night, Police said.

The Police Sergeant, aged 54 was attacked by the villagers following the killing of a villager in a wild elephant attack.

Issuing a press release, the Police Media Unit said the incident had occurred when the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Kebithigollewa Police station and four other officers had gone to investigate a report that an individual had been killed by a wild elephant in Rambakapuwewa in Kebithigollewa last night. 

Upon reaching the location, officers had observed a crowd numbering about 150 persons engaged in a protest by blocking the Kebithigollewa-Padawiya Main Road and also burning tyres. 

When police reached the location, they were confronted by a group from among the protesters who proceeded to hurl abuse at the officers and physically attack the OIC. The deceased Sergeant had attempted to prevent the OIC from being assaulted. At this point, some in the crowd had attempted to wrestle the Sergeant's weapon from his hands. The OIC had managed to prevent this and take the weapon into his custody. 

When attempts to diffuse the situation failed and with the crowd getting violent, the officers had been forced to fire into the air to control the situation, police further claimed. 

At this point, some in the crowd had managed to surround the Sergeant and attack him. The OIC and the other officers had managed to rescue the injured officer and push back the crowd. They had then taken the injured officer the Kebithigollewa Hospital for treatment. However, as his condition was serious, he had been transferred to the Anuradhapura Hospital. His condition had deteriorated before he could be taken to Anuradhapura Hospital however, and he had to be admitted to the Medawachchiya Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. 

Officers had then moved to disperse the crowd that was still protesting on the road. The body of the individual who had been killed by the wild elephant had remained in the field where he was killed during the entire incident and officers took steps to take his body to the Kebithigollewa Hospital. 

The 54-year-old Sergeant who was killed was a resident of Wariyapola while the 48-year-old villager who died as a result of the wild elephant attack was a resident of Rambakapuwewa. 

A 29-year-old Buddhist monk along with four others aged 20, 30, 37 years have so far been arrested in connection with the police officer's killing. 

Kebithigollewa Police are conducting further investigations under the direction of the Kebithigollewa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).