Thebuwana Police Sergeant granted bail

Matugama Magistrate has granted bail to the Police Sergeant who displayed unruly behavior over his OIC releasing a lorry transporting sand. 

The police officer in question, who is attached to the Thebuwana Police Station, was taken into custody with great difficulty after he had behaved in an unruly manner while armed with his service weapon at the Thebuwana Junction on the 02nd October.

A lorry transporting sand had been taken into custody by the Sergeant on September 29, however, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Thebuwana Police Station had released the lorry the following day, stating that the vehicle did have a valid permit to transport sand.

In protest of this decision, the Sergeant had arrived at the Thebuwana Junction yesterday, along with the T56 assault rifle.

In light of this situation, the Superintendent of Police (SP) in charge of Kalutara division, the OICs of Dodangoda and Warakagoda as well as Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel had also arrived at the scene.

The senior police officers and even the relatives of the Sergeant had attempted to talk him out of his actions, but it was to no avail as he threatened to shoot himself should anyone get close to him.

However, after more than 2 hours the STF personnel managed to apprehend the Police Sergeant while the firearm in his hand even fired several times during this operation to subdue him.

The police officer had reportedly spent some 6 months in the custody of the LTTE during the war.

The said Police Officer was remanded on the 4th of October until today (09).