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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Death of a
hero
Crime Sunday by Jayampathy Jayasinghe It was a tragedy that brought great sorrow to people in the threadbare town at Niliyamulla Kudadiya in Marawila area last week. It was an unfortunate incident where the life of a 22 year lad, a good samaritan was snapped away trying to help catch three robbers fleeing after snatching a gold chain from an elderly woman teacher. The three robbers escaped on a motor cycle. According to reports the entire village had been morning with sorrow at the untimely death of Indika Shantha Kumar, a mason by profession who was shot dead by a robber. According to police sorrow, pain and trauma was quite evident on faces of the village folk who loved their fallen hero. The incident took place on January 10 at Kaliyamulla Kudaweva in the Marawila area when three young men riding a motor cycle had grabbed the gold chain of a teacher while she was walking about in the Kahamulla town. The lady teacher had been wearing the precious gold chain weighing several sovereigns around her neck. According to the complaint lodged at the Marawila police station, three unknown men riding a motor cycle had snatched the gold chain she was wearing and sped away. Although she yelled and screamed nobody came to her rescue except for a passing motor cyclist and his pillion rider who heard her cries. They stopped their motor cycle and inquired about her ordeal. After learning what had happened and realising the plight of the teacher they decided to chase the robbers. They soon learnt from bystanders that the robbers had fled in the direction of Nathandiya. Whilst the chase was on they encountered a friend from the same village on a motorcycle with a pillion rider travelling from the opposite direction. They shouted at their friend loudly by calling thief, thief, thief, come and join us on the chase. The motor cyclist immediately did a U - turn and were after the robbers along with his friends. Before long the two motor cyclists had caught up with them at the Galammuna junction near the Walahapitiya cemetery. The robbers too had noticed two motorcycles following them. Realising the chance to escape was remote, they stopped their motor cycle and the three men got off the bike. Thereafter one of them dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pistol which he aimed at the motor cyclist coming towards him. Suddenly the motorcyclist had observed the robber attempting to squeeze the trigger and had swerved his bike to the left edge of the road as if to avoid being hit by gun fire. In the meantime the second motorcyclist who did not notice what was happening was now heading straight at the robber. The robber without any remorse whatsoever squeezed the trigger of the gun. Instantaneously both the rider and pillion rider fell on the ground. Several bullets hit Indika Shantha Kumar on his lower stomach and his legs. The pillion rider however escaped with minor injuries. In the meantime the three robbers fled the scene on the same motor cycle. Police later identified the pillion rider as one Dahanayke Nagapriya who miraculously escaped with minor injuries. Bystanders who witnessed the shooting rushed Indika Shantha Kumar to the Marawila hospital but was found dead on admission. His body was later removed to the Ragama hospital for an autopsy examination. Several pellets were removed from his lower stomach and the legs. The inquest was held by the Marawila Acting Magistrate who directed the police to apprehend the robbers. It was a case of homicide.. OIC Marawila Police station, Chief Inspector K. A. B. Kaluarachchi said it was a cold blooded ruthless killing. There was no provocation whatsoever on the part of Indika Shantha Kumar.
He was merely chasing the robbers to recover the gold chain. Meanwhile DIG
North Western Province Asoka Ratnawera and SSP Gamini Amarakoon had ordered
a man hunt to apprehend the killers. OIC Crimes Marawila Inspector P.
Pathmanadan is conducting further inquiries and no arrest have been made so
far. |
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