Police can shoot in self defence - Spokesman

Rafik Jalaldeen

Police have been given the power of self defence and are not bound to protect criminals, spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said..

Gunasekera said there is no underworld and this term had come from unknown people, at a press briefing yesterday.

'Police are bound to protect the public from hard core criminals. "When we arrest a criminal, he will be produced before court, then they will be jailed and sentenced," he said.

"After interrogation, we have to escort these criminals to recover their arms. In this situation, if a criminal attempts to lob a hand grenade or any attempt is made on the life of a police escort, the police have the power to shoot the criminal," Gunasekera said.

He stressed that the power to kill a criminal had been given by the Penal Code under self defence.