Sergeant who went berserk arrested with service weapon

3 October 2018 08:48 pm - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The entire Thebuwana Town in the Kalutara District was engulfed with fear this afternoon when an enraged police sergeant armed with a T-56 assault rifle took to the streets protesting in a violent manner for letting a driver of a lorry transporting sand, who was arrested by him recently, go scot-free allegedly on the orders of the police hierachy.

The sergeant, attached to the Thebuwana Police Station, was furious to learn that the lorry driver he arrested on September 29th for transporting sand sans a permit, was not going to be produced in court yesterday as scheduled. He had then grabbed his service T-56 rifle and started behaving in a violent manner.

Senior police officials, including Kalutara Division SSP Upul Nilmini Ariyaratne, who rushed to the scene, attempted to pacify the irate policeman in a drama that unfolded for two hours while traffic was at its peak following the closure of schools in the afternoon.

The Police Special Task Force (STF) had to be called in as the senior police officers on hand were unable to persuade the protesting sergeant to put down his weapon.

The sergeant's daughter, who had been returning home after school, who happened to pass by had rushed to the scene while his wife too had come to the area and tried to pacify him as well but to no avail.

However, while his attention was diverted by something else two of the STF personnel, who had been brought clad in plain clothing, had managed to overpower him. During the struggle that ensued the sergeant had managed to pull the trigger twice releasing two rounds of fire into the air, frightening a number of persons in the vicinity, yet hurting no one.

He was soon taken into custody along with the weapon he had with him.

The sergeant alleged that the lorry which had been seized by him for transporting sand by violating its permit conditions had been released under the discretion of the Thebuwana Police Officer In Charge (OIC) for some unknown reason.

The suspects taken into custody along with the lorry on September 29, were to be produced in court yesterday (3). He got annoyed after he got to know that the suspects were not produced before court.

SSP Kalutara Division however said that the OIC had released the lorry after checking that the relevant documents and permits were valid. The sergeant is due to be produced in court today (4). (By Sunil S. Thanthriarachchi, Bimal Shyaman Jayasinghe, Thusitha Kumara De Silva and Bandu Thambavita)

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Comments - 11

ANTON Thursday, 04 October 2018 08:20 AM

MAKE HIM THE IGP, HE IS IDEAL PERSON FOR THAT POSITION.

dulan Thursday, 04 October 2018 08:59 AM

People with a conscious and a sense of justice has to go mad in this society

ghostlanka Thursday, 04 October 2018 09:22 AM

I pity the officer's plight... there were no reports the officer took bribe...just that the accused failed to provide the necessary valid documents when ordered. So how come he was able to do so later. I hope some samaritan lawyer appears on behalf of the police officer. He is a distinguished POW, who sacrificed his daily bread of life to share with his family

ghostlanka Thursday, 04 October 2018 09:27 AM

We need to monitor all public institutions of national service with CCTV. We cannot trust anyone in the state service. Nepotism in all forms needs to be eradicated. Intelligence surveillance and gathering information needs to implemented on all people who are in state service and who deal with state service, including nationally elected MPs of all chambers in the country.

Thushara Thursday, 04 October 2018 09:58 AM

True he should become the IGP, I know the OIC of Kaluthara, definately the lorry was not released on permit.

Marcian Chris Thursday, 04 October 2018 10:09 AM

Failure on the part of the OIC to inform the Police Sergeant of the release of the suspect should be first investigated as there is something fishy about this episode which could have avoided the rightful provocation on the part of the arresting officer.

Rasheed Thursday, 04 October 2018 10:14 AM

They should arrest the OIC for letting the driver to leave. Either the lorry belongs to a top politicians or top Police officials.The minister of Law and order should have verified before arresting him.

Jaliya Thursday, 04 October 2018 10:24 AM

This is what you get for doing your job .. no wonder we have a criminal society that is undisciplined. Why didn't the OIC inform the police sergeant that the permits were valid ? Is there anything that is in the permit only visible to an OIC ? If there was a mistake by the sergeant in reading the permit incorrectly at that point the OIC should have educated the sergeant. If OIC is on the take from someone else they all need to be investigated.

Darrel Thursday, 04 October 2018 10:48 AM

looks like the wrong police officer was arrested. What happened to the lorry driver, the lorry and why was he released?

stardust Thursday, 04 October 2018 02:37 PM

very fishy clearly VIPs or bribes involved must investigate the Kalutara OIC too. via DM Android App

Sanju Thursday, 04 October 2018 07:26 PM

So tare we to deduce that the Kalutara OIC is corrupt ?

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Sergeant who went berserk arrested with service weapon

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