The Anti-Terrorism and Investigation Division has launched a comprehensive investigation to find the Police Constable who was working at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who is said to have been involved in attempting to help the powerful drug dealer of the underworld Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata who had been detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to escape from the CID.
A high-ranking police officer mentioned that the Colombo Crime Division will also assist in this. A relative of this Constable had been called to the Anti-Terrorism and Investigation Division and questioned at length yesterday (12) in relation to that investigation.
This constable named Munipalage Ravindu Sandeepa Gunasekara (97420) does not have much service in the Police and it appears that he had been bribed by Harak Kata. The officers of the Colombo Crime Division had questioned a Woman Police Constable who claimed to be the girlfriend of this Constable, about her boyfriend. However, no important information had been revealed. The CID states that this officer helped Harak Kata to escape by not locking his handcuffs properly. According to the CID, this officer had given milk toffees to the officers of the CID claiming that he had brought it when he returned from the village and when the officers who had consumed them had fallen into a faint, Harak Kata had snatched the firearm of the Special Task Force sub-inspector who was guarding him and tried to escape.
A statement issued by the Police Media Spokesperson regarding this, indicates that on September 10, Harak Kata had attempted to grab the firearm of a STF Sub-Inspector who was deployed to protect him. The statement also says that the police officer was injured and hospitalised due to the scuffle that took place at that time. According to information from the CID, the Police Constable fled during the fight. Investigations are currently underway to find out how he escaped, by checking the security cameras.
The CID has also raised a suspicion that a vehicle may have been prepared in front of the CID or in the nearby area for Harak Kata to escape in. The officers of the Anti-Terrorism and Investigation Division are conducting investigations paying special attention to that possibility as well. What happened inside the CID that day? What was the plan? It is believed that all this information will be revealed when the constable is taken into custody.
Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe