On November 22, a suspect in the killing of a police constable and his wife was himself killed after arrest. The suspect was a 30-year-old former instructor of the Commando Battalion of the army. It is alleged that he was taken to identify some weapons and when he attempted to attack the police with one of the weapons he was shot dead. Two more persons related to the inquiry into the same murders were also killed after arrest. It is alleged that these two suspects were also taken for the identification of weapons and that during the search they both jumped into the nearby lake at Denagumuwa and drowned. It is also reported that the police are still looking for the main suspect of the murders. It would not come as any surprise if, when this person e main suspect is arrested, there would be a similar report of his being taken to search for weapons and that he too was killed as he tried to attack the police.
Inspector General of Police
The inquiry into the deaths of the policeman and his wife is being conducted under the supervision of the Senior DIG for the Southern Province, Chandara Wickremaratna, and the DIG, McCarthy Perera.
The killing of the policeman and his wife is without doubt a horrible crime. The fact that they were killed, allegedly due to the inquiries that the policeman was involved in further add to the gravity of the crime. Besides, the killing of the family of a policeman in retaliation to lawful inquiries that he has been carrying out and that the crimes have been done in front of the victim’s children all adds to the horrendous nature of the crime.
The fact that the first person to be arrested and later to be killed was a former instructor of the Commando Battalion of the army is also quite significant. In many of the crimes reported in recent times the fact that the alleged suspects have been former members of the Sri Lankan armed forces should be a matter of concern to the military, the government and the society at large. That persons who were members of the armed forces had taken so easily to crime around the country reflects on the kind of discipline within the armed forces. Despite of the repetition of such crimes over the last few years no serious inquiry has been undertaken, either by the armed forces or the government on this issue.
Instead of making inquiries into such serious matters the method that has been adopted is to extrajudicially execute the alleged criminals. This means that the senior officers in charge of inquiries into these crimes approves of such executions which is an indication of a grave breakdown of the morale within the police service. Killings and counter-killings have thus become the manner in which criminals and the police appear to engage with each other.
The fact that former members of the armed forces are taking to crime, the crimes themselves becoming increasingly more brutal and the method of dealing with these crimes being extrajudicial executions are frightening indications of the breakdown of the society as a whole. That such a breakdown exists is not a new revelation and this matter has been commented on for many years now by numerous bodies. What is shocking is the complete absence of any response by the government to this state of affairs.
That such extrajudicial killings take place in inquiries directly supervised by two Deputy Inspector Generals of Police is an indication that, as a matter of policy the government approves of such killings. If it was otherwise these killings would have led to inquiries into all the officers involved, including the two Deputy Inspector Generals.
The Asian Human Rights Commission once again draws the attention of the government as well as society as a whole to the rapid collapse of the law and societal morale indicated by the crimes as well as the manner in which the crimes are dealt with.
*Statement by Asian Human Rights Commission
The Penetrator / November 27, 2013
IGP you are also going to have to come to court some day to give answers into your blind justice. If not you will be put in an insane asylum, for any of these [Edited out] that hold high positions, they have to be either mentally retarded to take orders from the regime or “thotha babas”.
What ever it is, these guys days are coming, keep [Edited out] eating your money [Edited out].., the day of judgement is coming very very soon..
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I am no muslim / November 27, 2013
The way you talk, every one of us is a crminal except the rump LTTE and its [Edited out]. Keep writing your crap and the bull shit.
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Tamil from the north / November 28, 2013
Hey I am no Muslim; You are a sad piece of shit. In any comment do you have to include the damn LTTE? Loser, get a life.
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The Penetrator / November 28, 2013
@I am no muslim
Police are civilians with extra powers to help make the place we live in nice. Yep, thats what this Police does in Sri Lanka.. Wake up and smell the coffee buddy..
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Sri Lankan Muslim / November 28, 2013
I am No Muslim… I am Muslim :)
in 33 years 60% will become Islam in Sri Lanka with the Help of Casino… do you know how? it says Sinhala Gobbaya
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Ninja / November 29, 2013
Till you hide your head in the sand you are
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Ben Hurling / November 28, 2013
Sri Lanka Police is a extremely politicised, highly corrupt, brutal, torture happy, criminal organisation.
Most top leaders of this organisation are pathological liars.
Italian Mafia would do a far better job policing Sri Lanka than these monkeys.
I dream of a President in Sri Lanka who is clean & brave enough to send these criminals in uniform to where they should be. Welikada Prison.
Cheers!
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The Penetrator / November 28, 2013
I second that
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Balawathie / November 28, 2013
If journalists raise this question in CHOGM sessions, we could send the message to entire world, that MR supports POLICE to continue their kind of extrajudicial killings…..
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Ben Hurling / November 28, 2013
True. In Sri Lanka Police & militray brutality has reached new heights under former HR Champion Rajapassa.
However, to be fair this problem is not a Rajapassa invention in our country.
All leaders from both UNP & SLFP, since Independence have misused Police & military to abuse, torture & kill citizens of our country.
By kicking Rajapassa out and bringing Ranil in this problem will not go away.
Cheers!
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Percy Jilmart / December 3, 2013
@Ben Hurling
Looks like a secret love for Mahinda, although you try very hard to show in your comments that you disapprove of him. :)
Under a Ranil government things may not be perfect, but at least there won’t be the impunity that has become normal under MRs Family Dictatorship.
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JayGee / November 29, 2013
I am appalled that CT has published the putrid language used by ‘The Penetrator’ whilst those of others have been edited out…over to CT
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The Penetrator / November 29, 2013
Well done JayGee, CT has edited out some words. “Putrid” language is just the start of censorship for a simple mind such as yourself. I like using adjectives, words should not harm anyone and by the word “[Edited Out],” the reader already got a word or words in their mind to replace it. Defeats the whole purpose I think.
CT- Why do you have to edit out any words at all?? Are we dealing with children here? Perhaps put a blanket parental advisory warning for these thotha babas…
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Gaje / November 27, 2013
Is it not surprising? Criminals like, choppe aiya, Madhavi Some, or Wijeweera did not have to face any judicial process for what they did! It was wrong then and is wrong today!
I won’t be surprised if the order came from the top or the brother?
Why was Lee Harvey Oswald killed? Because the real people did not want to get caught! Supposing the policeman who was killed was investigating a deep scandalous crime, and the Commando instructer was given a contract to kill him and he and the other 2 were really fall guys and were killed on orders from somewhere since the dead would not tell tales! A real fiction story but is a realistic theory!
It was surprising that Vaas G case did not happen that way? The main suspect is likely to have many tales to relate from the dock……unless….. He is probably banking on these stories for his freedom!
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / November 28, 2013
As you say the Case is more complicated one.
Many are involved. To escape that Crimes, they have to eliminate the Middle men.
Job is done with contracts and sub contracts.
now ALL THE Big shots are Escaped and happy.
,close the Case, THIS IS NO CRIME LANKA.
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Rev.Devil / November 27, 2013
Murder is the order of the day.
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kapu / November 28, 2013
take a look around analyze the current soup the rulers are f acing…things are gradually turning sour, those who oppressed are becoming depressed… those depressed are becoming restless….. when God decides to punish a human…he makes them go mad . the parliament is no longer an august assembly..the wrong man is in the speakers chair , ethics should have made him resign on the day he was elected.. the opposition has no direction… the legislative members are paid by us to entertain us by jokes and dramas and false pretense… the police, who are watch dogs are cuffed dogs… the leaders of the forces are mere puppets…justice has become a laughing stock and very soon a mad of the calibre of Dr.M will invade the dock and pronounced his own judgement… the cost of living will keeping soaring… the government loyalists will get concessions and semi=free duty permits ……………..yet with all these come elections… the majority will still cast the vote for these magicians…… the AHRC, UN, HRC, the EU, the commonwealth will all talk, talk, talk and talk…..
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K.A Sumanasekera / November 28, 2013
Why does this AHRC always want to be on the Robbers side when our inhabitants play Cops and Robbers?.
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Ben Hurling / November 28, 2013
Tsunamisekara,
Why don’t you call a local Police station?
They will only be too happy to insert a barbed wire up your bottom. If you got one.
If you enjoy it, that is fine. It is a personal matter.
If you feel tortured please call AHRC. Coz’ they help all, when in trouble. Including Rajapassa henchmen!
Cheers!
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / November 28, 2013
KA SUMANawathe;
Why not ask your Hothambya, A sitting on Neck Broken GAL bottle Treatment.
IT is said,that He is familiar with that sort of torture treatments, when he was At the MATALE Army detachment.
Flea is A Flea.
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justice / November 28, 2013
Citizens in police custody die under different circumstsnces.
1) The suspect is taken not handcuffed to a place he says has an arms cache.Instead of police searching the place and location supposedly given by the suspect,police allow him to recover the weapons when he ‘tries to shoot at the police’with a gun he snatched from the cache, and is shot dead by the police,who obviously had guns pointed at him.
Noone will attempt to shoot policemen already pointing guns at him!!!
2) The suspect is taken somewhere in a police jeep,not handcuffed,and tries to strangle an armed policeman,or snatch hus rifle, and is shot dead.
To shoot a persons in the confines of a vehicle with a rifle/machinegun is so difficult-unlike with a handgun.
3)The suspect not handcuffed,jumps out of the moving jeep – though he could have been overpowerd by policemn sitting close to him – and dies of injuries.
4)The suspect hangs himselt in his cell at the police station,though the roof is six feet high with no fixtures/not enough height to hang from.
5) The suspect,healthy enough to resist arrest,is found dead in the cell after being kept overnight.The police say he died of natural causes – but no postmortem report is produced at the inquest.If there was an inquest the relatives never know about it.
6) There is a manhunt for a suspect and he is “shot dead trying to flee”.
All these accounts have recurred over past many decades.
None is gullible enough to beleive them.
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shankar / November 28, 2013
Justice,what about the suspects who regularly get a grenade out of thin air and try to throw it at police.You missed that one.
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whywhy / November 28, 2013
Justice,you missed a point here.In the case of a high profile
arrest such as a DIG,hand cuffs shine,the law is so equal and
no one can escape.The DIG will try to escape,so hand cuffed
and the ordinary criminal is an honorable,trustworthy citizen
and no hand cuffs.Simple!!I know.I know it’s about that
British Khurram Sheikh murder isn’t it?Look, that’s entirely a
different type,we can’t betray our patriots,treachery isn’t it
and how else to promote tourism?Oh come on,try to understand
mate,didn’t we eliminate LTTE,what else you want eh?
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / November 28, 2013
Just;
THAT IS called Sri Lankan JUSTICE.
After the Showgon Carnival,expect more justice like that.
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shankar / November 28, 2013
“The Asian Human Rights Commission once again draws the attention of the government as well as society as a whole to the rapid collapse of the law and societal morale indicated by the crimes as well as the manner in which the crimes are dealt with.”
Doesn’t the poor policeman who was doing his job and his wife also have human rights.AHRC should think of that too before they howl about the human rights of these arseholes who have deserted the army and commit crimes while their former comrades lost their lives and limbs fighting for their country.For christ’s sake you got to be practical here.
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PalmSquirrell / November 28, 2013
So you think extrajudicial killing by the police is ok?
That there is no need to have a trial and give the accused the chance to defend themselves?
That it’s ok for police to assume the role of judge,jury and executioner?
Do you also believe that any person killed by the police is guilt?
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shankar / November 28, 2013
palm squirrel.Our justice system has failed us.It is cumbersome and innefective.By the time you put it right innocent people will be killed in droves by the dregs of our society.So while we try to get this justice system right some sort of extra judicial acts may have to take place as a substitute for it.I remember gota killing a number of muslim underworld figures sometime ago and there bodies were strewn all over the places.These bastards were taking our justice system for a ride and even if they are convicted they have a gala time in the prison conducting operations as usual or never get convicted by killing the witnesses.Even a judge was killed by them and an auditor had acid thrown on his face in kandy.So please think of the victims too and now these army deserters have become a big problem and should be just wiped out.
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PalmSquirrell / November 29, 2013
The problem is that the person the police kills may be innocent or may have information that implicates higher ups.
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shankar / November 29, 2013
palm squirrel,you have to look at these things on a case by case basis.In this case it is unlikely that the cops will kill a innocent man to avenge the killings of a fellow officer and his wife.Your second point that it could be done to cover up a higher up is a valid point,but only time will tell whether this is true or not.Even if that was arranged the police i feel will still go for that character in the end because of the peculiar circumstances of this case.This was clearly crossing the line by whoever did it and they can’t get away.You saw what happened to mervyns son malaka when he got clouted because he crossed the line when he assaulted an army officer.
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Thondamanaru / November 28, 2013
This Aimless Human Rights Commission (AHRC) need to shout to pacify their paymasters with DIGNITY or else, from where & whon they earn their daily bread.
HR is a bread & butter thing and is played out to satify the pay masters who push an hidden agenda at the expense of hired vultures.
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justice / November 29, 2013
Thondamanaru,
Please name their “paymasters”,details of payments,how payments are made & names of beneficiaries.
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shankar / November 28, 2013
As far as i’am concerned i follow a simple principle.Treat others the way you yourself want to be treated by others.If you violate others human rights then you too will forfeit your own human rights.
Victims too have human rights,not only the perpetrators.This is where the western justice system has gone askew with torrents of bucketloads of tears for human rights of bastards who have killed,raped,tortured while the poor victims human rights are completely set aside.
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Levi / November 28, 2013
shankar
what you said will be true only if you conclude any body taken into custody is guilty on being taken into custody.
You mean to say the Police have divine power.
Why do you want to have an expensive cheap justice with an expensive judicial system
Better Scrap it whole sale in the country you defend.
This rot is the eventuality of playing GAmes without Referees, Umpires and Judges.
Eventually it will come to you too. When the Game is played over you, where you are the mouse and your opponent is the Cat. You will feel the heat. By then it will be too late . You would be fully cooked.
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shankar / November 28, 2013
levi,Thaksin got rid of the drug problem in thailand by giving full powers to the police to get at all the drug dealers.Many were shot dead.He delegated but did not abdicate his authority to the police.That is the most important point here.If gota delegates his authority to The IGP and says get rid of all these criminal elements once and for all.I don’t care how you do it,just do it and i will take the full responsibility if something goes wrong,but i will hold you personally responsible if the police misuse their powers and go after innocent people and harass them.
If he tells like that then he is not abdicating his authority,he is only delegating it to the police chief.If he says you can do whatever you want and i don’t want to hear about it then he is abdicating his authority to the police and that is dangerous.
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Malani / November 28, 2013
Shankar boy, I agree with you wholeheartedly !!!
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R. Varathan / November 28, 2013
I know a professional friends of mine who emigrated to the West and are apparently doing well. They are very keen to bring their families for their vacations here. But they fear false charges can be “manufactured” against them to extort money out of them in the airport immigration or by the Police. This has happened to many Tamils – some of them have even been killed in the airport and outside. Someone in these pages refers to the Police Department as a criminal organisation. This is sad but dangerous and true. Where in the world do you get a DIG, connected to high-ups in the regime, engaged in naked extortion/murder for years going into big money. Recently almost an entire Police station close to Colombo were “caught” in a case that is part murder, intrigue, “protection” and the lot. The sums demanded and paid are close to a hundred million rupees.
Sri Lanka is a dangerous country even for Lankans – both within and abroad. And that is not a reputation the regime can be proud about.
R. Varathan
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TheOtherSide / November 28, 2013
This article is written with a narrow point of view. Have a little doubt and suspicion in your mind when you write. There is nothing wrong in assuming the worst scenario.
Take a another situation for eg.
The main suspect does not want to be caught, so he has the other 3 suspects killed. Makes it look as if they were killed because they were trying to escape.
2 of the suspects were not caught, they handed themselves in. Why would they try to escape? Unless they knew while being taken to the lake that they were going to be killed?
Taking into consideration these above possibilities. Wouldn’t it be possible that the main suspect is of a higher level of standing. For example 1. Another high ranking police officer or 2. A socially influential member of the surrounding city. 3. A member of a political party in this region.
Conclusion?
The only reason the suspects dies was not because of justice or police revenge as other stories may prove this to be. The reason is because the truth needed top be hidden perhaps.
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shankar / November 28, 2013
The other side,we can’t surmise like that.The main fellow might have gone into hiding.The police will get him.They must be very angry at what happened to their fellow police officer and his wife.Wijeweera also made the biggest mistake of his life when he killed servicemens families.That is one thing that will not be tolerated by police or army.The killer may be a big shot as you mention,probably a kingpin drug dealer who thought he was powerful enough to kill the wife of a police officer,but he will be dealt with by the police because he crossed the line.
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Ex Athiest / November 28, 2013
MOST OF THE ABOVE COMMENTS POINT TO ONE DIRECTION: THERE SHOULD BE AN INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE TO DEAL WITH THEM!
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email / November 28, 2013
DO NOT SAY ONE WORD AGAINST OUR FORCES. THEY HAVE BRAVELY GIVEN THEIR LIVES AND ELIMINATED ELAM TERRORISM OUT OF THIS COUNTRY FOREVER!!!!
YOU CAN WRITE AND PUBLISH THIS SHIT BECAUSE YOU HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH!! IF YOU WROTE AN ARTICLE AGAINST LTTE AT THAT TIME, YOU WOULD HAVE GOT SHOT IN BROAD DAY LIGHT!!! FEEL THE DIFFERENCE???
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Rod / November 28, 2013
Colombo telegraph is blind to the killing of Delft island P. S. Chairman?
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Thondamanaru / November 28, 2013
Oh!!!!!! thias guy is an EPDP man…. The job would have carried out by the TNA.
However, it is surprising that the AHRC or the Aimless Human Rights Commission was interested in this EPDP life…..
Yes. we are all for Ranil’s party……….Lately even Malcon Ranjith.
EPDP is MR’s.
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essie / November 28, 2013
This police procedure is not new. There was a time of curfews-dawn to dusk-many years ago. I was told by one of JR’s henchmen that all the police had to do,during curfew hours, was to knock on the ‘marked’ man’s door, call him out ostensibly to question him- and kill him because he was outside his home.
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sinhala friend / November 28, 2013
As Srilankan we are very proud of our forces. You can call them criminal or whatever you like. But they are the heroes to suppress democracy and to help the state terrorism to flourish. Did you witness recently even the Australian Prime minister being proud and smart after having donated 2 war ships and taken photos with naval forces and defence secretary? We Srilankan do care about our forces. Now the country is almost free from Tamils. We are exporting them to other countries as refugees or eliminate them by all sorts of means avaialble including forced deovarianism or detesticlism.
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Balawathie / November 28, 2013
You are one another matimolek (BORN DIMWIT) not to grasp it. You are not alone, rural masses feel you do. But thiis is not acceptable anymore…
It was a trick by Ausi premier to give two boats and block the refugee flow towards his country. More refugees keep coming, more funds to be allocated to maintain them wihle struggling to attack them inhumanly they the ausies have always been. They dont respect humanitarian laws as it is the case with EU countries. Please gather facts in this regard before trying to be a fool misguiding masses. It is high time to do so…
You please read a lot why US did not even criticise MR human rights allegations … raised by British premier…
Stay infront of the mirror and take time to think about you…
Stupid people like you are vulnerable targets them to abuse the power.
That you will get it in coming months more than it is today.
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Lapatiya / November 28, 2013
Actually what our IGP, Mr. Illangakoon has to do is to change the method now as those are very very old methods. everybody criticizing our Brave Police Officers because they are using the same story for each and every incident.
I just can’t understand why AHRC can’t accept repeated story of our Police Officers version as our Independent Judiciary does? What is wrong with AHRC? If the Police can’t take the Suspects to find the hidden Arms who else can do that? Also If our Police can’t do that kind of a small thing how they protect Police Human Rights?
We can give some free of charge advise to our IGP, Mr. Illangakoon to avoid such criticism from AHRC.
1. Suspect died after having massive heart Attack while in the Police custody.
2. Suspect died with loose motion.
3. Suspect died with Headache.
4. Suspect hang himself with nothing while in the Police Custody.
5. Suspect died biting his own nose while in the Police Custody.
6. Suspect died with toothache while in the police custody. (Police removal of tooth of suspect by force will not applicable here)
At least this is the right time for Mr. Illangakoon to stop old method and use new method to stop unnecessary comments from AHRC or other Institutions mainly because now our Emperor is the Boss of the Commonwealth Countries.
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Balawathie / November 28, 2013
The paradox is that they the majority of the people down there still say, they are strong buddhists… what a joke.. I am also born buddhist. how can I be a buddhist, if I indirectly allow these high criminals to grow that rapidly.
Today or tomorrow, they must reenforce law and order. Be that would reverse on the rulers or not, they must. Until they the rulers would not make genuine efforts on this… police would stay as they are now…
If a great leader took the office… a great leader that could bring long overdue disipline of the life… back to the nation..
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Mahadana Muththa (Jnr) / November 29, 2013
As stated elsewhere on CT, this is the legacy of a 2600 year old culture!
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