Protest against Dy DIG for doing his duty

Sandasen Marasinghe

The reason for staging a protest against the Moneragala District Deputy Inspector General of Police by several members of the Moneragala Pradeshiya Sabhah, including its chairman, was that the proper implementation of the law by Police officers, said Police spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody.

He said that several media institutions had published and telecast the protest, while the ground reality was that the protest had been based on two incidents and their concern was that the police had taken proper legal action in those two incidents.

The Police spokesman said that in connection with one incident, the Police had arrested suspects who mined sand illegally in the Kumbukkan Oya in Moneragala and seized their tractor. The suspects had been fined a sum of Rs 170,000 by the Moneragala Magistrate. The suspects who had political connections, had attempted to get the suspects released, but the Police without being influenced had taken proper legal action against them.

SSP Jayakody stated that in the second incident, a few persons under the influence of liquor, had assaulted two police constables at 3.20 am on January 30, near the Moneragala bus stand.

The four suspects had been produced before the Magistrate for having in their possession 1150 kg of cannabis, a sword, a locally made gun and 2 live bullets. One of the suspects had been the brother of the chairman of the Moneragala Pradeshiya Sabha.

The Police spokesman said that a suspect was serving a suspended sentence after being convicted for assaulting a forest officer. He said that the other three suspects too were close associates of provincial council members. These four suspects had been remanded by the Magistrate. The politicians had protested against the DIG as the Police has taken appropriate action against them. The politicians have expressed their protest against the DIG even at a District Committee Meeting.

The Police had only taken legal action against the suspects in accordance with the existing laws of the country.