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| Sunday, 1 January 2006 |
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Last encounter with Roshan Crime Sunday by Jayampathy Jayasinghe He was a thickset man who stood at six foot and was much feared in the southern province. Paliyage Roshan Rangajeewa alias army Roshan was a ruthless man who did not hesitate to kill any one who crossed his path. He terrorised businessmen and ordinary folk alike in areas like Kamburupitiya, Matara, Urubokka and Mawarella by extorting large sums of money. Nobody really messed around with Roshan because his prowess in Karate, a black belt expert. Mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spine of businessmen who became his victims. Although Roshan was wanted for several murders, robberies, and extortion cases the police could not apprehend him for obvious reasons. People were too frightened to talk about him or tip off the police about places he usually frequented. He was also cunning and elusive as mercury. However things took a different turn when he attempted to extort a sum of Rs. 2.5 lakhs from a restaurant owner in Makandura three weeks ago. He threatened to kill him if he failed to hand over the cash. The frightened businessman had two choices. He had to either part with the money or report the matter to the Matara Police. Finally he chose the latter and reported the matter to a senior police officer. Finally his complaint was referred to Inspector L. A. Guneratne of the Galle Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Inspector Guneratne questioned the businessman at length and learnt that Roshan needed the money desperately. He knew that Roshan was a dangerous man and would harm the businessman if the ransom money was not given. Roshan had previously extorted money from other businessmen in the area. He was a dangerous man on a dangerous mission. Trap The police set up a trap to arrest him at a pre arranged spot at Paragastota, a threadbare town in Kamburupitiya. The businessman had asked Roshan to see him at Paragastota. Inspector Guneratne did not want to take any chances with a dangerous man like Roshan. So he instructed several armed policemen in civilian clothes to proceed to Paragastota on December 26 around 3.p.m, and to lay in ambush. The policemen after arriving there took up positions in boutiques and at bus shelters and were awaiting for Roshan's arrival. Around 1 p.m. the policemen spotted Roshan with another cohort named Nambukarage Dickwella Chaminda Lal, from Karagoda, Uyangoda, Kamburupitiya riding a pedal cycle towards the town. Chaminda Lal was a employee of a reputed Insurance Company at Matara. The two policemen suddenly emerged from their hide-out and pounced at Roshan and his partner as if to grab them together. But Roshan clung on to policemen's shirt and held him tightly. Both men fell on the ground and a struggle ensued. Both were struggling to over power each other while Chaminda Lal and the other policemen looked on. Roshan then grabbed the fallen policemen's firearm and fired at him. The bullet struck the policemen's leg and he started to bleed profusely. Roshan then took out a hand grenade from his trouser pocket and was about to flung at him when the policemen standing besides shot him wounding him fatally. In the meantime Chaminda Lal ran away from the scene pursued by the policemen. He did not heed the policeman's orders to stop but continued to run. At this stage the policeman gave chase and shot him to prevent his escape. Finally police managed to rope in Chaminda, the lieutenant of Roshan. He was wanted by many police stations in the South for various grave crimes. Roshan succumbed to his injuries and his body was later removed to the Matara hospital for a post-mortem examination. The injured policeman was rushed to the Matara hospital and had to undergo an emergency operation to save his life. The Roshan saga which haunted policemen in the South for so long ended abruptly. According to Sub- Inspector Soysa of the Galle Special Investigating Unit Roshan was a dreaded criminal in the South. He was wanted by the Mawaralla police for chopping a man to death with a long knife in 2003. Thereafter he robbed cash Rs 9.293.000 from a jewellery shop in Mawaralla and a tea factory at Walasmulla this year. On December 24 2005 he forcibly entered the house of a Grama Niladari (GS) at Ihalawita Kamburupitiya and shot to death his wife when she refused to hand over her jewellery. He also made use of a robbed TVS motor cycle as a getaway vehicle after robberies. Searching for other criminals OIC Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Galle, Inspector L.A. Guneratne said the police are searching for four other underworld men who had followed Roshan and Chaminda on two separate peddle bicycles. "They simply disappeared after the shooting took place ", he said. DIG
Southern Range Prathapsinghe and SSP Galle, Lasnatha de Silva are directing
SIU officers to conduct further investigations in to murders and robberies
committed by the gang. |
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