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| Sunday, 8 May 2005 |
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Another daylight killing Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe The latest victim to fall to an assassins bullet was a Pradeshiya Sabha member for Kalawana, M. M. Wasantha Kumar in a vicious cycle of bloodletting. He was shot dead in broad daylight near the clock tower opposite a boutique in the heart of the Kalawana town last Tuesday. Sources said that the murder was a result of a conspiracy being hatched by some persons who were vehemently opposed to the Pradesiya Saba member Wasantha Kumar. Police are investigating whether the plot to assassinate Wasantha Kumara was hatched at an estate belonged to a person already in remand custody for a previous double murder in Kalawana area. According to Police a man had shed light on the pre-meditated killing. He had revealed to police that he overheard several persons discussing the plot to kill Wasantha Kumar the following day. The plot was hatched on the previous night at the estate belonging to one of the suspects. In fact on the very same night he had gone to meet Wasantha Kumar and told him of the threat to his life. But Wasantha Kumar had not informed Kalawana police about the plot to assassinate him. OIC Kalawana, Police Inspector, (IP) Indrajith Ratnayake said there had been several death threats on Wasantha Kumar previously. Although he had lodged a complaint regarding death threats at the Kalawana police station he had told them not to take action against anybody. On the day of the incident four hired assassins including an army deserter had travelled to Kalawana town in a car looking for Wasantha Kumar. They knew well that Wasantha Kumar used to go to Kalawana town almost every morning to purchase gem stones. Their mission was to shoot him and get away as soon as possible. But when they saw three Policemen in a street corner they decided to put their plan on hold as it was not the opportune moment. Instead they drove about in the town posing off like businessmen searching for merchandise. In the meantime they found Wasantha Kumar near a boutique talking to some persons. He was about to purchase gem stones from a vendor when the tragedy occurred. The assassins knew that it was time to pull the trigger on Wasantha. He instructed the driver to pull the car alongside Wasantha and having alighted from the car drew his automatic pistol from his trouser pocket and fired repeatedly at Wasantha Kumar. Instantaneously Wasantha Kumar slumped to the ground when the shots struck his body. Four shots were fired at his chest and the head. Another person who was with him also received gunshot injuries. However there is doubt regarding the shooting. Some say that an automatic pistol was used in the killing whereas others say that a T-56 weapon too was used. However the ballistic expert from the Government Analyst's Department has not mentioned the type of weapon used in the killing so far. People who witnessed the ghastly murder ran away from the scene fearing for their lives. But a few persons rushed to the scene and despatched Wasantha Kumar and the injured man to the Kalawana hospital. Wasantha Kumar the Pradeshiya Saba member succumbed to his injuries while the injured person is being treated at the hospital. Soon after the shooting, the Kalawana Police and police 119 emergency was alerted. Messages were flashed to police stations Islandwide to arrest the killers and to seize the car. Roadblocks were erected in Ratnapura to prevent the killers from escaping. Meanwhile the killers drove their vehicle at break neck speed as they knew that police roadblocks would be set up at every intersection. After proceeding towards Manapitiya in Kahawatta area they decided to swap vehicles. Kahawatte police later found the get away vehicle abandoned in Kalla-ela. Police later found a T-56 automatic rifle hidden in the shrub jungle. In the meantime a police party led by OIC Kahawatte Police, T.B. Ratnayake intercepted a jeep on a tip off at a roadblock and arrested two persons believed to be involved in the killing. It was subsequently learnt that the two suspects had divulged a lot of information regarding the killing. According to police the two suspects after abandoning the vehicle had travelled in a three-wheeler taxi for some distance and had boarded a bus. Later they were picked up by a brother of one of the suspect in a jeep. Senior Supdt. of Police, Ratnapura Division, Sarath Perera said that police are making every effort to round up three more suspects connected to the killing. Last week it was Sivaram Dharmaratnam, journalist of the Tamil Net who was abducted outside a restaurant in Bambalapitiya and shot to death. So far the killers have not been traced, police said. |
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