Police probe Police

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed the Police Special Investigation Unit to take disciplinary action following an investigation after it was revealed several police officers, including the OIC and the Traffic OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police Station, had failed to properly discharge their duties in relation to the road accident involving former Speaker and MP Ashoka Ranwala.   

Sri Lanka Police came under heavy criticism for failing to arrest and obtain a breathalyzer test on Ashoka Ranwala immediately after his jeep was involved in an accident in Sapugaskanda. The accident occurred on December 11, 2025, when the jeep driven by MP Ranwala collided with a motorcycle and a car near the Denimulla Junction in Sapugaskanda. 

Police arrested MP Ranwala more than 12 hours after the accident, while he was receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. The Sapugaskanda Police were also accused of not taking an alcohol test of the former Speaker immediately after the accident.   

Following the incident, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Traffic Division conducted an investigation under the directives of the IGP to determine whether the officers of the Sapugaskanda Police Station had acted in accordance with due procedures.   

The investigation revealed that the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Sapugaskanda Police Station, the OIC of the Traffic Division who investigated the accident, and senior officers responsible for supervising the police station had committed acts amounting to dereliction of duty.   

The Police Spokesman said there were concerns about the way the duty was discharged by the OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police, including not immediately reporting the scene of the accident, delaying the arrest, and failing to obtain an alcohol test.   

Accordingly, the IGP has instructed the Police Special Investigation Unit to initiate a preliminary investigation into the conduct of the relevant officers and to take appropriate disciplinary action.   

Meanwhile, when inquired about whether the medical report of Ashoka Ranwala had been received, the spokesman said the report is yet to be received.