Many crimes solved :

Public urged not to take law into own hands

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Police has succeeded in solving a number of crimes during the past 12 months. These include solving a foreigner's murder at a restaurant at Tangalle, a woman's murder at Renuka Hotel and the Kahawatta double murder, Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Director General Lakshman Hulugalle said.

He said that the media have given wide publicity to these incidents,but, it is also important that the media publish correct and accurate information without misleading the public. Reporting correct and true information is the main responsibility of the media and they should be more mindful of their responsibility.

Director General Lakshman Hulugalle was addressing a special press briefing at the Police Headquarters,yesterday together with IGP N.K. Illangakoon to reveal the current situation of the Kahawatta double murder case which had created a huge conflict situation in the country.

The Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of a mother and her daughter in Kahawatta and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is still conducting investigations to prove the facts related to these murders under the directions of CID Director SSP Mahesh Perera,IGP Illangakoon said.

According to the IGP the Police have solved a number of crimes in a successful manner. In certain incidents the Police have to investigate several aspects of the case and have to spend some time to solve the case and arrest the suspects. In certain situations the public should not get angry with the Police and take the law into their hands.

“Taking the law into their hands and trying to punish suspects will hamper the investigations and it can also destroy important evidence as well. It had happened in the Kahawatta case where residents of a certain area burned down houses and the Police have lost certain information related to these murders”, the IGP explained.

“There are no eye witnesses to this incident and the Police are investigating this case using only scientific evidence. Because of this situation, it would take some time to prove allegations and take legal action against the suspects,”he said. IGP Illangakoon urged the public not to take the law into their hands and the media not to mislead the public by giving false information in an aggressive manner. The IGP totally denies all allegations against the Police related to this incident as well.