Kanneliya assault:

Victims plead for justice

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Forest Resources Conservationists Organization General Secretary Lalith Gamage on Wednesday vehemently condemned the attack on the on duty Range Forest Officer at the Kanneliya Forest Reserve on February 4.

He made this condemnation at a press conference organized by the United Trade Unions of the Forest Conservation Departments under the theme 'Do away with violence against the forest conservation officers.'

Gamage said the Kanneliya Forest Reserve was gifted with the highest bio-diversity in Sri Lanka, and its Range Forest Officer Sunil Ranaweera was severely attacked by a group of people who entered without permission. Thereafter Ranaweera was admitted to the hospital and from there he was transferred to the Karapitiya Hospital. He suffered damage to his ear drum.

Gamage said the culprits had beaten a youth in the village as he objected them for beating the Range Forest Officer.

Describing the incident, Gamage stated that while a lecture was in progress for students of the Maharagama Vajiragngnana Daham School and students of some other schools, a few persons entered and arranged the lecture hall without permission and then later nearly 300 persons gathered and held a party consuming more than 150 bottles of liquor and polluting the environment violating all rules and regulations set out in the Forest Ordinance.

When Sunil Ranaweera expressed his disagreement some assaulted him. Gamage said that they have made a detailed complaint about the incident with identities of the culprits and they hope the Police would take proper action. He also said that they would take legal action until the culprits are brought before Court.

Environmentalist and Attorney-at-Law Jagath Gunawardene said the culprits have committed a non bailable offence.