Rajagiriya accident: Jt. Opp. tells IGP to check CCTV footage

4 March 2016 05:12 pm

The joint opposition today requested Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon to ensure an impartial and proper investigation into the Rajagiriya accident involving a motorcycle and a vehicle belonging to Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

In their letter to the Police Chief, joint opposition MPs Shehan Semasinghe, Kanchana Wijesekara and D.V. Chanaka asked whether the police had launched an investigation into the accident, on February 28, in which the motorcyclist was critically injured .

“We have questions about the police inspecting the CCTV footage near the location of the accident and whether the police had afforded an opportunity to those who had made statements to the police. It is the duty and the utmost responsibility of the police to take action against the offenders. The law should be equal to all and the justice should be meted out to the injured youth,” the MPs said.

They said that according to reports, it was Minister Ranawaka who had been driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

“Although a driver had surrendered to the police claiming it was he who drove the vehicle at the time, the youth who had followed the vehicle had seen that it was the minister who was driving. The suspect who surrendered, was also released on bail after producing in Court,” they said.

The MPs said the culprits had fled the scene without reporting the accident, driven carelessly and had failed to prevent an accident.

They said the injured motorcyclist Sandeep Sampath was in a critical condition and receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.