The 161st Remembrance Day of Fallen Police Heroes

A Legacy of Courage: The 161st Remembrance Day ceremony recognises the sacrifices of Sri Lanka’s police heroes, from Officer Sabhan to the most recent fallen officers

The 161st Commemoration Day of the Fallen Police Heroes falls on March 21, 2025, and on this date every year, the Sri Lankan Police commemorates such heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom that we enjoy today.

Officer Sabhan’s name occupies the topmost place in the annals of Police Heroes as the first full-fledged police officer to make the supreme sacrifice with courage whilst on duty. Officer Sabhan’s life was taken on March 21, 1864, two years before the statutory establishment of the Police. E. R. Saunders, who was appointed the Second Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka, during his tenure as the Government Agent of the Kegalle area, erected a monument at the Mawanella Police Area on Colombo-Kandy Road in remembrance of the officer Sabhan, who succumbed to injuries from a gunshot fired by one of Saradiel’s accomplices, Mammale Marikkar, while attempting to apprehend Utuvan Kande Saradiel.

After Saban’s demise, his heroic mission led to the declaration of March 21 as the Remembrance Day of Police Heroes. After that, the demise of Police Constable 289, Officer K. Thambi Muttu, killed in 1894, was recorded as a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, according to the list of Police Heroes. In a long line of fallen police heroes, starting with police hero Sabhan, the most recently recorded name was Police Sergeant 55175, S.M. Dharmawardhana who served attached to the Police Station Galgamuwa and died on September 30, 2024, by an accident. The said officer was hit by a motorcycle and died while he was crossing from the left side to the right side of the road to take an inoperative motorcycle to the police station to carry out further investigation in relation to an accident.

The police officers perform their duties under the keen supervision and mentorship of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya, for the prevention of organised crimes and narcotics, which act as a strong force for the destruction of society by ruining the lives of the people without any distinction between younger, elder, female, and male.

The police officers perform their duties around the clock and put their lives in danger with the aim of creating a peaceful country by eradicating all kinds of illegal activities and menaces.

On the occasion of the 161st Remembrance Day of Police Heroes, which is to be celebrated with pride on March 21, 2025, it has been organised for 30 members of the families of police officers who died and 20 members of the families of police officers who became completely disabled while on duty due to terrorist activities and acts of maintaining law and order to offer floral tribute to the Police Heroes’ Memorial at Police Field Force Headquarters, together with the participation of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya. At the same time, all arrangements have been made to award gift vouchers to those members of families by the Acting Inspector General of Police.

On the 161st Police Heroes Remembrance Day, we commemorate the police heroes who made the supreme sacrifice selflessly to preserve law and order within the country in Defence of the freedom we enjoy today.

You shall always be remembered!

Courtesy of the Police Media Division