Police inspector slain over gang retribution

The slaying of a Police Inspector in the southern province was a contract of an underworld gang, investigations have revealed. Inspector Dadimuni Balendrasinghe was shot dead in Rathgama earlier this week as he was returning home after a court case.

The Special Task Force (STF) during an operation shot dead one of the suspects believed to be a member of the ‘Jayalath Suddha’s gang’ in Meetiyagoda following a shootout a day after the Police officer was killed. He was identified as Sanjeewa Pemakumara Silva, 42 from Wadduwa.

According to the STF, they were trying to arrest one of the suspects who was hiding in an abandoned house owned by Jayalath Suddha, when the suspect fired at the STF forcing them to return fire.

Further investigations revealed that the officer had been targeted as he was responsible for cracking down on the underworld in the southern province.

Mr Balendrasinghe joined the Police Department in 2000 and was responsible for the arrests of criminals including ‘Aruma’, ‘Janith’ and ‘Podi Lesi ’.

He was involved in an incident when Police in 2008 responded to an emergency call in Kurundugaha, Galle. A gang had broken into a house where a private function was taking place and had beaten up those present. IP Balendrasinghe and his team were able to arrest two persons on the scene; four others were arrested later.

However, one suspect’s mother lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission claiming that her son had been assaulted and subsequently action was filed in courts against the officer in 2011.

The security and firearm provided to the officer were withdrawn. In 2022 when the case was taken up, his bail was cancelled and he was remanded. Several bail applications were turned down by courts later.

The officer was finally released on bail on September 26, 2023 and had appeared in courts on October 9 for another hearing at the Balapitiya High Court.

He was returning from court last Monday to his residence and had stopped his bike to speak to his brother when he was gunned down. His brother was also injured.