Embilipitiya clash: police inaction disgrace to the rule of law: Lawyer
January 29, 2016 01:01 pm
Any arrests have not yet been made in connection with the alleged murder of a man who died during a clash with the police in Embilipitiya, it was reported.
The attorney who appears on behalf of the wife of the deceased stressed that the failure to arrest the persons who are in the spotlight due to their alleged involvement in the incident gives a bad image of the Sri Lanka Police, since a court in Embilipitiya has already ruled their arrest.
According to him, the wife of the deceased in open court has stated that she eye witnessed an ASP of pushing off her husband from the balcony of her house.
“The inaction to arrest them tarnishes the image of the police. And this is a disgrace to the rule of law,” attorney Vijitha G. Punchihewa said.
However, earlier police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara told reporters that “When police officers were attempting to arrest the individuals behaving in a disruptive manner, one person jumped from the third floor of the building through a window.”
Police seek AG’s initiations
Police Spokesperson Gunasekara told Ada Derana that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has sought instructions from the Attorney General’s Department in a bid to take further steps in this case.
“The case is now being handled by the CID, thus I cannot comment on the ongoing investigation,” Gunasekara added.
However, attorney Punchihewa pointed out that the CID does not want to seek instructions from the AG to arrest the individuals since a court order has already been issued in this regard.
“The police are empowered to arrest a person in a case of this nature even without a court order,” said Punchihewa.
“The top cops allegedly involved in the case have been transferred to the Police HQ. Maybe the CID does not know where the Police HQ is located, resulting they end up being failed to find them,” Punchihewa said.
The clash involving a group of policemen and several civilians attending a function at the residence resulted in the death of the man, whose wife is pregnant with their second child on January 04.
