Special team to probe crash which killed Sripathi

Sarath MALALASEKERA

ANURADHAPURA: The North Western Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Jayantha Jayasinghe has deployed a special police team headed by Maho ASP Siriwardena to investigate into the jeep accident in which former Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi and four others were killed on Saturday in Thambuttegama, Anuradhapura.

The jeep in which Sooriyarachchi and several others were travelling went off the main road and crashed onto a massive tree in Thambuttegama. Police believe the driver had lost control of his vehicle while negotiating the sharp bend at high speed.

The others killed in the crash are Sooriyarachchi’s driver Priyantha Samarasinghe, S.K.R. Silva, an executive of a private radio channel and two personnel attached to the Ministerial Security Division, Nihal and Somaratne.

On the day of the incident, the North Western Range Police Division had conducted a special operation to detect drunken and speeding drivers and other traffic offences, DIG Jayasinghe told the Daily News yesterday.

Sooriyarachchi and the others were on their way to participate in a conference organised by the University Students of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s Mahajana Wing. Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera had also attended this conference.

According to investigations, the jeep crashed onto the tree around 1.15 p.m. on Saturday.

Acting Tambuttegama Magistrate conducted the magisterial inquiry. The post-mortem examination was performed by Anuradhapura JMO Dr. S.Jayasena.

After the post-mortem inquiry, the former minister’s body was handed over to his relatives on Saturday night.Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was shocked when hearing of the death of Gampaha District MP Sripathi Sooriarachchi under tragic circumstances had conveyed his condolence to the MP’s brother who was at the Thambuththegama hospital.

The President was in Singapore when the tragic incident occurred killing the MP and three of his body guards had spoken to Sripthi’s brother via the cell phone belonging to Petroleum Resources Minister Duminda Dissanayake.

President Rajapaksa who was in Singapore on the invitation of the incumbent Monk of the Lankaramaya Temple paid a visit to Most Ven Maha Nayaka Thera of Asgiriya Chapter who was receiving treatment at the hospital and participated at a New Year celebration organised by “Golden Temple”, the main Chinese Buddhist Temple in Singapore.