Court allows police to detain doctor over GH robbery

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

The Maligakanda Magistrate yesterday allowed the police to detain the 33-year-old doctor who attempted to rob Rs.7.9 million from the General Hospital for 48-hours.  

The doctor who was undergoing training to become a specialist, was arrested with Rs.7.9 million of cash which was brought to the National Hospital, Colombo on Tuesday.  

He robbed the cash from the cashier at a gunpoint, but it was revealed that the gun was a toy pistol. It was revealed that the suspect had fled with the money in a three-wheeler.   

However, he was arrested at Punchi Borella area by two police constables attached to the State Intelligence Service, who were on duty at the hospital and the OIC of the Children and Women’s Bureau of Matara Division CI Waruni Bogahawatta.  Police said that according to the initial investigations, the suspect, a resident of Horana, and temporarily residing at Cotta Road, was transferred to the Colombo National Hospital from another hospital to pursue his postgraduate specialist trainee programme.    

• He was arrested at Punchi Borella area