KATARAGAMA IN CHAOS
Arrested cop remanded till Jan. 30 Hundreds of residents storm Police Station, burn tyres Police fire teargas to disperse angry mobs STF summoned CID probing Kataragama shooting
The sacred city of Kataragama turned to a chaotic mini-battlefield last evening, when scores of angry mobs started hurling stones at the Kataragama Police Station following the death of a defiant motorcyclist, who was shot by the Police Saturday night.
The Police had to summon additional contingents and anti-riot squads to control several hundred residents who were swarming towards the Police Station hurling stones and burning tyres at main junctions.
The Police Special Task Force (STF) was brought to the scene, where the Police had to fire tear gas at the advancing mob and over 63 persons, who had behaved in a violent and unruly manner, were taken into custody. Fifteen of them were women, the Police said.
The series of events erupted when a 44-year-old man, who was heading on the Wedihiti Kanda Road on his motorcycle with another passenger on the pillion had been gunned down by an armed Police Constable around 10.55 p.m. on Saturday night.
According to initial inquiries the motorcyclist had been signalled to stop at a Police checkpoint at Wedihiti Kanda Road, which had been manned by a Police Constable and a Civil Security Personnel. The PC had fired a round at the fleeing motorcycle as
The 44-year-old motorcyclist was killed when police officers opened fire at him for allegedly refusing orders to stop the motorcycle at the Wedihiti Kanda checkpoint in Kataragama Saturday night
the rider had refused to heed the order causing the latter to sustain serious injuries.
The rider with serious wounds had been rushed to Kataragama Hospital, where he had soon succumbed to his status. The deceased had been identified as a resident of the area named Niroshan. The pillion rider had not sustained any wounds in the firing.
Meanwhile, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said the Constable who was arrested over the shooting incident in Kataragama was remanded till January 30, after being produced in the Kataragama Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The IGP had ordered a CID team to head to Kataragama to investigate the shooting in which a major public stir was reported, SP Gunasekera said.
He said that IGP Pujith Jayasundera had directed the CID to investigate the shooting and into the mob attack on the Police in retaliation.
The tense situation erupted between the Police and the residents of the area following the death of the motorcyclist since yesterday early morning.
Several public properties had been destroyed in the clash whilst notable damage was done to the Police Station.
Black flags were seen hoisted in many places around the city and the protestors had blocked the Thissa – Kataragama Main Road with tyres set on fire. The tensed situation was being brought under control at the time this edition went to press last evening and at least 20 Policemen were reported with minor injuries.