The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) at the Pallewela Police station has been transferred to the Kalutara South Police, stated Police Media Spokesperson.

This decision has been taken following the allegations that the officer’s inaction against illicit brewers in the area.

Consumption of moonshine from an illicit brewery in the Banduragoda area in Mirigama had claimed 11 lives by this morning (05). Post mortems had revealed that the deceased had suffered from conditions of dehydration and heart complications following the consumption of the moonshine.

Following the reports of the deaths, the Pallewela Police had raided the relevant illegal brewery and arrested its owner, an assistant along with 9 liters of moonshine.

The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Pallewela Police states that samples of the seized moonshine will be sent to the Government Analyst’s Department for inspection.

However, charging that the Pallewela Police had not taken appropriate action against illicit breweries in the area, the residents of the area staged a protest by bringing the casket containing the body of a deceased to the main road, last evening (04).

Joining Derana ‘Big Focus’ program, Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara stated that the charges from the residents cannot be discarded considering the actions of the Pallewela Police OIC.

The Spokesperson stated that the Police Headquarters has decided to launch investigations into the matter to inquire about both actions taken by police over the Mirigama incident and action taken by police in the past regarding the main suspect linked to the incident.

According to the Pallewela Police, Kanchana Ajith, the main suspect of the incident who carried out the illegal liquor racket, has 09 cases filed against him at the Attanagalla Magistrate’s Court and that all 09 of them are regarding illegal liquor.

Alipitiyagedara Subasinghe, a suspect in the distribution of the illegal liquor, also has 09 cases pending at the Attanagalla Court, police further said.

Meanwhile, the suspect who was arrested last Saturday (03) was produced before the Attanagalla Magistrate’s Court and is remanded until the 7th of August.