Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma arrested
July 5, 2016 07:21 pm
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Palitha Thewarapperuma and three others have been arrested by police on charged of unlawful assembly.
He had surrendered to Meegahatenna Police after being discharged from hospital.
Earlier today police arrested the mothers of 9 students who were allegedly forcibly enrolled into the Grade One class of the Meegahatenna primary school.
The arrested mothers were among the parents who recently staged a protest along with the Deputy Minister demanding that 10 students be given admission to the school.
However, the agitation and subsequent protest fast culminated with the deputy minister attempting suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan within the school premises. Both the deputy minister and the Principal of the school were hospitalised shortly afterwards.
A group of parents staged a protest against the deputy minister the following day accusing him of exerting undue pressure on the school’s principal and forcibly enrolling the students.
The mothers in question were taken into custody by police when they accompanied their children to school this morning. A spokesman for Meegahatenna Police said that they were arrested on charges of unlawful assembly.
The nine arrested mothers were remanded till July 07 after being produced at the Mathugama Magistrate Court.
UPDATE: Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Palitha Thewarapperuma and three others have been remanded until 7 July.
