Magistrate reprimands police, wants probe handed over to CID
The Kegalle Magistrate has ordered that the police probe into the police shooting at the Rambukkana fuel shed protest be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department.
Magistrate Wasana Navaratne’s issued the order on Thursday when lawyers appearing for the protester who was killed and others who were wounded questioned the impartiality of the police investigations. Fifty two-year-old Chaminda Lakshan, a father of two, died in the police shooting and scores were injured when police on Tuesday used live bullets to disperse protesters who demanded that they be issued fuel at the price that prevailed prior to Monday night’s upward price revision. The protesters claimed they made the demand because they believed the bowser carrying the fuel had come to the shed prior to the price revision.
The magistrate also sought from the Government Analyst an urgent report on the incident.
She reprimanded the police for filing just a two-page report on an incident in which a protester had been killed and scores wounded.
In view of the lack of interest and efficiency shown by the police, counsel appearing for the aggrieved parties made the application, seeking an order that the investigations be handed over to the CID.
An eyewitness told court that three people in civilian clothes were among a group of police officers who came to the scene from the Kegalle side. It was these three people who started throwing stones at the police, prompting a senior police officer to yell at the police officers and order them to fire tear gas. The eyewitness said he believe the three people were police officers in civvies.
While the protestors were fleeting, the senior police officer again shouted ordering the police officers to chase after them and shoot to kill them. Three-armed police officers who were behind a threewheel near the railway quarters started to shoot the crowd. The witness said that he ran to a nearby village to save himself.
On Wednesday evening, the magistrate inspected the site where the shooting occurred and also the three-wheeler that was set on fire. Also present there were a large group of lawyers representing the victims of the police shooting.
The magistrate resuming the court session on Thursday around 9pm severely reprimanded the Police for erasing sections of the B report using correction fluid. She said action should be taken against those responsible. The magistrate had also visited the injured protestors who were being treated at the Kegalle hospital.
Meanwhile, appearing before an inquiry at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on Friday over the Rambukkana shooting, Police Chief C.D. Wickremaratna denied issuing orders to shoot the protestors.
The commission also summoned the Central Province Senior Deputy Inspector General, the Kegalle Division SSP and the Officers in charge of the Kegalle and Rambukkana Police to give evidence.
Meanwhile, the remains of Chaminda Lakshan were handed over to his family members on Friday after an autopsy was carried out on Thursday afternoon. The funeral was held yesterday.