Planter’s family alleges complicity of police in Deraniyagala killing*NPC won’t act without complaint

By Shamindra Ferdinando-July 12, 2013

Relatives of murdered planter Nallaperuma Arachchige Nihal Perera are calling for a high level investigation into the alleged complicity of the Deraniyagala police in the killing. They say that those responsible for the crime had been operating with the knowledge of the local police.

A spokesperson for the family told The Island that the Deraniyagala police made an abortive bid to have the post mortem performed at the Kegalle hospital. Responding to a query, the spokesperson claimed that the local police had conspired with those involved in the killing to move the body out of the area to prevent public protests.

Perera (69) succumbed to his injuries at the Deraniyagala hospital on the afternoon of July 5 after being assaulted by a group of persons, allegedly led by a local SLFP politician, one-time Chairman of Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha, Anil Champika.

The planter had earned the wrath of the gang by thwarting its attempts to remove property belonging to Noori estate in the Deraniyagala electorate.

In the wake of allegations against the Deraniyagala police, police headquarters transferred Deraniyagala OIC, Nimal Dharmapriya Gunawardena to Padukka pending an investigation.

The family said that the National Police Commission (NPC) should examine the failure on the part of the Deraniyagala police to take pre-emptive action in spite of a complaint the victim had lodged with the police. The family said that the NPC should intervene without further delay to ensure a proper investigation.

Director Public Complaints of the NPC Ariyadasa Cooray yesterday told The Island that the NPC, like the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, couldn’t initiate an investigation on its own. When pointed out that both the print and electronic media had extensively reported the incident, Cooray stressed the NPC had to no option but to follow guidelines.

According to the family, about 15 persons had been involved in the day time attack. The gang targeted the planter as well as three of his bodyguards, the family said, claiming that the severely wounded couldn’t be moved to the Deraniyagala hospital as local people feared to provide assistance. Those who owned vehicles simply refused to help as they didn’t want to earn the wrath of gangsters, the family said.

The family had to seek intervention of the Defence Ministry to get the body released around midnight on July 5 after the Deraniyagala police said that Avisswella Magistrate couldn’t be asked to visit the crime scene and the hospital on that day. However, following the Defence Ministry intervention, the police escorted the magistrate to the scene of the crime before visiting the hospital for the magisterial inquiry.

On a request made by the family, the Avissawella Magistrate directed Deraniyagala police to move the body to Avisswella hospital instead of Kegalle as earlier planned. The Magistrate rapped Inspector Gunawardena for ordering the transfer of the body the Kegalle hospital.

The family said that the Avissawella Magistrate also directed the police to facilitate the presence of Colombo Judicial Medical Officer at the post mortem at the Avisswella hospital. Responding to a query, the family said that due to the Avissswella Magistrate’s intervention, they were able to secure the body around midnight and move it to Avissawella for the post mortem held on July 6.

However the Magistrate declined a request by the family to cremate the body due to ongoing investigation. Directing the body to be buried, the magistrate said that it would probably have to be exhumed for further investigations.

Police headquarters said that the former Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman was among 19 suspects arrested in connection with the killing and remanded till July 15.

The family also brought to the notice of the Deraniyagala police how many women had been abducted and raped by the gang over a long period of time. The family quoted a weeping man as having said that the gang had taken away his wife on many occasions and dropped her at home in the evening.

The family said that the government should expose the godfather of the Deraniyagala gang. It would be important to identify the politician who had facilitated the chief suspect’s entry into politics and then recommended him as the Chairman of the Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha.