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| Sunday, 30 May 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Police legends : What happened to Bate? by Bandula Seneviratne, Retired Superintendent of Police Inspector V.D.C. Batepola - a superb athlete, was a man of short stature. Even after retirement, he joined the Reserve as a Chief Inspector and continued as the Personal Assistant to the Superintendent of Police, Kandy. It was a familiar sight in Kandy every morning by 6.00 a.m. to see "Bate" as he was popularly called, running three laps round the Kandy Lake at the same pace. The writer too was serving in Kandy during this period, but he was able to do only one lap, that too puffing and panting. By a strange quirk of fate a few years ago, "Batepola" went
missing. He simply vanished into thin air. All that was found of him in the room that he occupied at the Bachelor Inspectors quarters at Kandy Police was his wristlet and the pair of spectacles. His disappearance is still a mystery. Many attribute his worries to his close involvement with Bachchus, as a result of which his Police and Sports career fell into oblivion. Upto date his whereabouts are unknown. A.C.A. Gaffoor was the "Biggest Police Officer this side of Suez" who started his life as a Sub-Inspector. His forte was tackling crowds of protestors, strikers, rioters, University students and the like. He was singled out from wherever he was and rushed to any trouble spot. His mere presence at such a place was sufficient for any mob to desist from acts of violence or wanton destruction. Once, whilst on 'Strike Duty' somewhere in Borella he was struck down by a stone from the crowd which alighted on his forehead. He was rushed to hospital. The wound was sutured and he voluntarily rushed back to the spot of trouble against medical advice. Such was his dedication to duty. He retired as a Deputy Inspector General of Police. Inspector Thavaraja was a unique character who served a long stint in the Criminal Investigation Department. He was a Soccer player. He became famous for his role as a cook in a hotel at Welimada, grinding chillies for a considerable period to apprehend suspects who were printing counterfeit currency. He was successful. Inspector Kumaru, with the stentorian voice was another fearless character. He specialized in Police Prosecutions in the Magistrate's Court. He never gave into any lawyer and fought his cases with grit, skill, determination and enthusiasm. He was well versed with the law, court craft and New Law Reports. In fact he maintained a private New Law Report Index which is very rare for a Police Officer. After the defence closes the case, subsequent to the address to court, Inspector Kumaru though not entitled to, used to move Court for a date to address Court and more often than not, he was granted a date. Such was his skill as a prosecutor. He was a outspoken man. After retirement, he went to live in his village in Jaffna. But he did not last long as he was gunned down (you know by whom). These were some of the Police Inspectors with whom I was fortunate to rub shoulders with during my long career. To me they were living legends. I am not aware whether one could find parallels to these Inspectors of yester year in the Police Department today. If such men are there, the Police Department is an interesting place for a professional Policeman. In conclusion, it has to be stated that some of the Inspectors mentioned rose up to the Senior Gazetted Officer rank, i.e.: they became A.S.P./ S.P./ S.S.P. and D.I.G. But with fate intervening, some could not go beyond the rank of Chief Inspector, though they were content and happy to retire in that rank. The author is a retired superintendant of police and not a retired inspector of police as inadvertently stated in the May 16 issue of the Sunday Observer. The oversight is regretted. |
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