Ten suspects arrested over the assault on the Minneriya National Park rangers, were ordered to be remanded till September 11 by the Hingurakgoda Magistrate Court yesterday. The Police Media Spokesman’s office said a SLPP (Pohottuwa party) Pradeshiya Sabha member was also among the suspects.
A member of the Hingurakgoda Pradeshiya Sabha was among 12 suspects arrested by police over the incident, while two of them were previously remanded until September 11 after being produced in court.
The Minneriya National Park had to be temporarily closed following the clash last Sunday over the arrest of a fisherman engaged in illegal fishing. He was scheduled to be produced in the Hingurakgoda Magistrate’s Court on August 27.
The Police said the forest rangers had apprehended a fisherman engaged in fishing in the Minneriya tank together with the net used for fishing in the Ambagaswewa area.
Later villagers had attacked the forest rangers and vandalised the Wildlife office and had freed the arrested fisherman.
Police said six forest rangers were injured in the fracas.
Add new comment