A pandemonium broke out when Jagath Samantha Perera, the Chairman of the Arachchikatuwa Pradeshiya Sabha, forced his way into the Pallama Police Station yesterday with about ten other men, including his brother, and tried to forcibly remove two tippers taken into custody, according to the police
A pandemonium broke out when Jagath Samantha Perera, the Chairman of the Arachchikatuwa Pradeshiya Sabha, forced his way into the Pallama Police Station yesterday with about ten other men, including his brother, and tried to forcibly remove two tippers taken into custody, according to the police.

Police say these tippers were taken into custody while they were being used to transport gravel without a permit.

The PS chairman and his gang had rushed to the police in two double cab trucks and attempted to remove the tippers, said the police.

Police had arrested Ajith Chandana Perera, the brother of the PS chairman, and the others had fled.

Police were looking out to arrest them as well.

After this incident, Sanath Disanayake another brother of the PS chairman and a member of the Wayamba Provincial Council, had visited the police station and asked them to release his brother.  The police had refused and he had gone away.

The arrested man was produced before the Puttalam acting magistrate yesterday and remanded till December 13.

Following information received about the illegal transport of gravel, IP Nazeem and a police team had searched the two tippers on the Serukkuriya  Devalegama road and taken them into custody.

The PS chairman and his brother had subsequently rushed to the police station and demanded the release of the tippers saying the gravel was being transported to be used in a shramadana campaign.

The chairman’s brother had been arrested when he was attempting to drive away one of the tippers from the police premises.

People who were participating in the shramadana campaign had also come to the police station and created a commotion.

The crowd was dispersed by the police.

Investigations are proceeding on the directions of Puttalam DIG I. M. Karunaratne. (Srinath Prasanna Jayasuriya)