A former soldier who stole a T-56 weapon from a constable who was on duty at the Wilgamuwa Police Station’s guard room was arrested in Aralaganwila.
He is a 36-year-old soldier who had been legally discharged from the Army and is a resident of Nugagolla, Wilgamuwa. The suspect was arrested while hiding at his wife’s aunt’s house in Aralaganwila.
“I was very angry with the Police that day. I went to the junction, bought and drank four cans of beer to quench that anger. It was only when I was coming home on my bike late at night that I saw the Policeman at the guard house sleeping. I went a short distance on the bike and stopped at a place on the road and then went back and stole the weapon. After that, I ran and got on my bike and went home and threw the weapon in the well. It was only when I got up in the morning that I realised the seriousness of what I had done. At that time, I was very scared, so I took my wife and children and went to my ancestral home in Galgamuwa,”the suspect told Police during questioning.
“The Police did not allow me to run my hooch business freely. I have 50 illicit liquor cases against me. Police came to arrest me on the 25 as well. I saved the sugar and escaped into the forest. But the yeast was discovered by the Police. As the 51st Kasippu case was also filed, I felt anger towards the Police. Thinking that I should do something about this, I went to the bar in the town and bought four cans of beer and while drinking it, arrived Police early in the morning. Then I saw the Police officer who was in the guardhouse sleeping soundly with his T-56 weapon by the side. I sneaked through the fence and took the weapon and ran away,” the suspect who was arrested on Wednesday (24) for stealing the firearm said during Police interrogations. He had then escaped from the house in Galgamuwa, subsequent to Police visiting the house.
“I thought that when the Police found the weapon, they would stop looking for me. That is why I took the weapon out of the well and kept it near the Buddha statue,” he had told the Police.
Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe