Police reveal:

Suspect in PC killing in death leap

*Reportedly jumps into Bolgoda Lake after pushing cop

*Suspected murder weapon found in islet

Sandasen MARASINGHE

One of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder of a police constable in Moratuwa drowned, when he reportedly leaped into the Bolgoda Lake after attacking and pushing another police constable into the lake.

They were on their way back from an islet in the middle of the Lake where the sharp weapons allegedly used in hacking to death the police officer were discovered.

The police constable pushed into the river by the suspect was admitted to the Kalubowila hospital and is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Police Spokesman SSP Maxi Proctor said that a sword and a manna knife were seized, hidden in the islet in the middle of the Bolgoda lake, which were used in the attack on the police constable attached to Modera in the Moratuwa Police division, who had intervened to resolve a quarrel between two groups on Monday.

He said that a group of policemen attached to the Moratuwa Police went to an islet with the suspects on information provided by the latter to recover the weapons hidden by them after the crime.

On their way back, a Police Constable fell out of the boat when he was attacked by the suspect who was handcuffed. At the same moment the suspect too jumped to the river. The rest of the Police officers managed to get both of them into the boat and then rushed them to hospital. The suspect was found dead on admission to the Panadura hospital.

The Moratuwa Police arrested four suspects from the Modera area and another suspect from Ratiyalagoda in Panadura.

Police Constable M G V C Samarawickrama who was stabbed, died on admission to Panadura Hospital on Monday.