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| Saturday, 29 March 2003 |
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by Ranil Wijayapala and Manjula Fernando Police with support from the Army and STF yesterday dispersed unruly crowds in the Orugodawatta area protesting over the Police inaction in investigating the incident of ill-treatment of a 13-year-old girl by a woman in the Orugodawatta area. The Police action followed an unruly mob setting fire to two traffic bikes and the stoning of the Police Officers who arrived on the scene to control the situation. Army and STF personnel were deployed on standby from yesterday morning to control the situation. A section of Base Line Road from Ingram Junction to the Kelanitissa power station was temporarily closed last night, Police said. Traffic was diverted through Dematagoda and Ingurukade Junction in Grand Pass. Colombo Deputy Mayor Azath Sally who visited the scene last evening said outsiders, had attempted to take advantage of the situation. "Some sections are trying to take advantage of this incident involving the 13-year-old girl in order to embarrass the government. It was after the SLFP - JVP organised protest march against the war in Iraq that the situation got worse and more outsiders gathered at the scene at Orugodawatte," he said. The woman who has been arrested by the Police was produced before the Colombo Magistrate and remanded until April 11. The 13-year-old girl was handed over to the Salvation Army, the Deputy Mayor said. Colombo DIG Bodhi Liyanage told a news conference last night that the situation was totally under control and additional Police, Army and STF personnel were deployed to strengthen the security in the area. He said special police teams have already been deployed to investigate the incident and requested the public to assist the Police in the investigation into the incident without taking the law in to their hands. He said disciplinary action will be taken if Police inefficiency is proved at the investigations. Five Police Officers of the Grand Pass Police have already been transferred. A special report in this regard was due to have been handed over to the IGP last night, DIG Liyanage added. Angry residents of the area yesterday morning set fire to the house where the child was kept. They also prevented the fire fighters from dousing the fire. A group of residents later stormed the house and unearthed a pile of girls school uniforms buried inside the house. Meanwhile, the National Child protection Authority has also initiated an investigation into the incident to ascertain whether the woman was involved in deploying underage children as sex workers. |
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