Villagers protest claiming Navy was helping drug smugglers

Villagers in Nirmalapura, Daluwa, Norochcholai today staged a protest over an incident where a group of Navy officials and sailors had assaulted a resident in the area over night, Police said.

The resident, Neville Mervyn Fernando, 63  had stayed overnight in his coconut land inorder to protect the coconuts that had been plucked in his garden the previous day.

However, a group of Navy personnel had broken into the land had entered the coconut cultivation and assaulted him after questioning as to why he was remaining in his land at night.

He has been hospitalized.

Villagers today staged a protest against the Navy and Police claiming they were helping drug smugglers and did not want residents to stay on the roads close to the beach at nights.

Resident Normal Livera said that those smuggling drugs and Beedi leaves were operating with the help of the Navy and Police in the area. He said on the days the smuggling was taking place the Navy and Police prevent them going towards the beach.

The Navy had sent its personnel to record pictures of the protestors leading into a heated argument. Later the villagers to get the navy personnel to delete the pictures they had taken.

Police too had been reluctant to take any action until noon, but later DIG for Puttalam Nalaka Silva ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe