|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Guns for hire by Indira P. Dahanayake Two men were gunned down at ..... today afternoon by an unidentified gunman ...... This has been the most repeated news item over the air for nearly two decades. Very often the killer a hired murderer who had been given a contract by the victim's enemy ... gets away. The people in their hundreds who watch this human drama are too shocked to even cry out, leave alone supply information to the police. If there is enough information the police however manage to apprehend the killer. The Sunday Observer in speaking to senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) found that there are many reasons that retard (hinder) the police to get the killers netted. According to Chandra Fernando, Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) who heads the Unit of Research planning implementation of the police department in Sri Lanka, there is a serious break down of law, and order prevailing in our country. A murder, he said, takes place every six hours of the day. Sri Lanka, he added, has the record for the highest number of murders committed in South East Asia. Going through statistics Fernando said there were 387 murders committed in the Western province alone in 2003. Most of these murders were carried out by hired assassins. Of this, 56 had taken place at Mt. Lavinia and 53 in Nugegoda followed by Kelaniya, Gampaha, and Kalutara.The assassins usually had been found to come from a variety of backgrounds - army deserters, drug addicts and underground killer gangs. Whatever category they may belong to, the assassins are offered a princely sum of money, very often .... a part of it given as an advance or incentive with the other part to be given once the job is done. According to Chandra Fernando (DIG) the underworld gangs operate specially in the Colombo South areas, covering Nugegoda, Maharagama, Kahathuduwa, Kolonnawa, Piliyandala. These gangs he said often had rivalry between each other which was the main cause for gang warfare. The free availability of sophisticated firearms, and grenades had been a catalyst for these murders, he added, pointing these were the repercussion of the North-Eastern war. According to statistics Tangalle in the Southern Province heads the list of murders carried out in the Southern part of the country, and is closely followed by Matara, Angunakolapelessa, Middeniya, Walasmulla and Beliatta. According to reports, the sum of money paid to a contract killer is based according to the value of the victim. In certain cases it has gone up to several millions - such as the killing of the late professor Stanley Wijesundera. The killer of Professor Wijesundera is said to have handled it single handedly and when he was arrested by the police, quite by chance, he is said to have boasted that it was the 40th killing he had undertaken. Killing for money dates back to nearly two centuries in Sri Lanka. According to reliable sources the hamlet named Pinwatta close to Wadduwa in the South has been notorious for providing people to do the killings for the elite, at a price. Pilla the man engaged in the sensational Atigalle-Kotelawela murder that took place way back in December 1906, was also a native from Wadduwa. It was a well known fact that men from these areas come from very poor economic background and were often said to be rather impulsive in nature, apt to take offence easily. An interesting legend related by a resident of Ja-Ela brings to mind how a certain Vidane Aratchi was killed by an assassin hired by a man who was vying for his title, nearly 150 years ago. The assassin, it is said, was offered Rs. 50 (money being scarce at the time). The fifty rupees had been torn into two halves and one half had been offered to the assassin as a bate before the job was carried out - the other half was promised, once the job was completed. The assassin it is said was supplied with a fire arm and ammunition and given the exact whereabouts of the Vidane Aratchi and instructed on how to carry out his job without getting caught. The Vidane Aratchi's house had been located in a large garden screened from the main road with luxurious vegetation. The assassin dressed all in black is said to have waited in ambush till nightfall,monitoring the movements of the unsuspecting Vidane, who as a habit came out into the open verandah after dinner and relaxed in his easy chair for some time before retiring to sleep. Perhaps this was the only time allotted for him to be with his family. On this particular day, only his eldest daughter (who was around seven years at the time) had been with him. The assassin is said to have waited patiently till the child moved away from him, as he too was said to have had children of his own, of the same age. Then taking a careful aim at the Vidane Aratchi he had sent one bullet through the victim's head putting an end to his life. Amidst the commotion The assassin had then slipped away without being noticed. Though an inquiry was held the very next day, the assassin could not be traced. His job completed the assassin is said to have received his due (the other half of the fifty rupee note) plus and an extra sum of money along with the firearm and ammunition, which was a priceless gift at the time, for a job well done. (More next week) |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
