Man arrested over dangerous tricycle driving, animal cruelty

A man was arrested by Chilaw Police following a road accident involving a tricycle driven in a dangerous manner on the Chilaw–Kurunegala road, police said.

The accident had occurred on March 22 at around 6.30 p.m. in the Thitthakade area when a tricycle travelling along the road collided with an oncoming car. Investigations by the Traffic Division of the Chilaw Police revealed that the tricycle had been driven without proper permission to use the road.

Police further said that the driver had allegedly assaulted the cow used to pull the tricycle while travelling on the road, and had been attempting to train the animal for racing competitions at the time of the incident.

The suspect was arrested on the  24th and produced before the Chilaw Magistrate’s Court yesterday (25) under the Animal Cruelty Act. The court released the suspect on a personal bail of Rs. 20,000 and fixed a later date for the hearing.

Chilaw Headquarters Police said further investigations are underway to identify and arrest other persons connected to the incident.