Tight security in Dompe for funeral

2 October 2011 01:00 pm

Tight security will be provided tomorrow, October 3, 2011, for the funeral of Appuhamilage Gayan Saranga (28) who died under mysterious circumstances while he was in police custody on Friday in Dompe. .

The elite Special Task Force (STF) will provide security with the assistance of the Army. The funeral will be held at the Palahela Public Cemetery, the police said. 

Following the post mortem, the JMO of the Gampaha Hospital made an open ruling to send several parts of the victim's body to the Government Analyst.

The Gampaha Additional Magistrate, Indika Attanayake ordered the JMO to submit the report of the post mortem to the Pugoda Magistrate. Residents of the area burnt tyres in protest over the death on Saturday evening, when the body of the 28-year-old trishaw driver was taken to his house.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is currently conducting further investigations into the suspicious death of the 28-year-old who died while in police custody on Friday in Dompe, with the arrest of five policemen including the Crime OIC of the Dompe police.

The CID took over the investigation into the incident after the case was handed over to them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) N.K. Illangakoon.

Along with the Crimes OIC, the CID arrested a Sub Inspector, a Police Sergeant and two Police Constables on Saturday evening. They are currently being questioned further by the CID, the police said.

Following the incident angry crowds pelted stones and set fire to several buildings of the Dompe Police Station following the death of the father of one who died while he was being brought to the police station, after being arrested for alleged theft.

Earlier the police said the death of the youth had occurred when he had jumped off the police jeep when it was travelling at a moderate speed.

They overran and attacked the Dompe Police Station, damaged several police vehicles including three jeeps which led to the intervention of a special team from the elite Special Task Force to control the tense situation.

The victim was arrested following information that he was involved in several crimes committed in the area, after questioning two suspects who were earlier arrested for nearly 20 crimes in the area.

According to reports from the area, the Dompe Police Station and several public places in Dompe are being given protection by the elite Special Task Force (STF) and by the army who are also conducting foot and mobile patrolling in the area. The police have also begun repairing the damaged buildings inside the Dompe police premises. The cafeteria, the hostel and the administrative building were damaged during the tense situation which prevailed on Friday. The cost of the damage is yet to be established. (Supun Dias and Upali Ranaweeera)