Wanted PNB officer gives the slip

2 January 2012 10:12 pm

A police officer who is wanted in connection with the alleged death of a 30-year-old youth who had visited the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) office to sign the case book has left the country, police told Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday.

When the case pertaining to the matter came up before Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne, the Fort police informed Court the third suspect, a PNB officer had gone abroad. The Fort police submitted in Court that they were waiting for a report from the Immigration and Emigration Department over the suspect’s departure. 

Meanwhile, two PNB officials Sub Inspector Ruwan Kumara and Police Constable Manoj Nehinna who were in remand custody in connection with the incident were further remanded till January 13 by the Magistrate and police were ordered to seek the Attorney General’s advice with regard to each suspect.  

A PNB officer had in a statement said the man had been suffocated while drinking water at the PNB office on October 30 last year.

But the preceding Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne said that according to the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer’s (JMO) report the stomach of the deceased and the gullet had not contained a significant amount of food or water and as such the PNB officer’s statement was contrary to that of the JMO report.

The Colombo JMO Ananda Samarasekara had maintained that the death was due to asphyxia following an abnormal posture of the body and compression of the upper trunk. “There were fresh injuries and marks in and around the mouth and nose consistent with pressure applied. There are minor and fresh injuries in the head and limbs; they are consistent with blunt force trauma. The internal organs of the deceased did not show significant pre-existing natural diseases,” the JMO report stated.

Counsel Sudarshani Gunaratne appeared for the suspects while Counsel Nipuna Wimalasekara under the instructions of Rasika Weeratunga appeared on behalf of the aggrieved party. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)