Bambalapitiya shooting incident Court orders Excise Dept. to seek AG advice on Police officers for obstructing duties

By Nimanthi Ranasinghe  

Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Ratnayake yesterday (09) ordered the Excise Department to seek advice from the Attorney General about the seven police officers who obstructed the duty of the four excise officers in the shooting incident while they were on a heroin raid at the Bambalapitiya Police division few days ago.  

The magistrate issued this order when the Excise Department gave the court a list of the police officers who arrested the four excise officers in the shooting incident and obstructing the excise department officers’ duty. The department officials had carried out the operation after informing the higher officials of the excise department.  
The Excise department had submitted a list of police officers including Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of Colombo South, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of Colombo South, Officer In-charge of the Bambalapitiya Police Station, OIC of the Administration Unit, OIC of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Bambalapitiya Police, a Police Inspector, a Police Sergeant and a Police Constable, to the Court yesterday.  

The magistrate issued this order when the Excise Department gave the court a list of the police officers who arrested the four excise officers in the shooting incident and obstructing the excise department officers’ duty. The department officials had carried out the operation after informing the higher officials of the excise department.  The Excise department had submitted a list of police officers including Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of Colombo South, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of Colombo South, Officer In-charge of the Bambalapitiya Police Station, OIC of the Administration Unit, OIC of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Bambalapitiya Police, a Police Inspector, a Police Sergeant and a Police Constable, to the Court yesterday.
The Commissioner of Excise has submitted this report to the court stating that the police officers obstructed the duties of the Excise officers and arrested the said officers, detained them at the police station,  providing an opportunity for the main suspect related to a large-scale drug raid conducted by the Excise Department to escape. 
The Excise Department reported to the court that a raid was conducted in front of the Pearl Beach Hotel in Bambalapitiya on the morning of the 7th and 150 grams of heroin was taken into custody during the questioning of the suspect. Initial information revealed that there were two persons with heroin in the car. They informed Court that the remaining suspect managed to escape due to the arrest of their officers by the Police.