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| Sunday, 09 April 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Adieu, Wambotta: No joy for Mr. Brinjal Sunday crime by Jayampathy Jayasinghe One of the most dreaded criminals in the southern province Wambotta alias Ruwan Kumara, responsible for a spate of killings, robberies, extortions, and other heinous crimes in the south, died in a hail of bullets last Sunday at Kosgama, Miriswatte, when an unknown group who had followed his Caravan sprayed his vehicle with bullets. Wambotta who was wounded in the attack succumbed to his injuries at the Homagama hospital.
Scene of the crime A senior police officer who visited the scene of the shooting said they had recovered more than eighty-five T-56 bullets from the scene. The gang had fled the scene in a vehicle after firing upon Wambotta and his gang. It all happened after Wambotta drove to pick four of his colleagues from a house in Negombo last Sunday. Having picked up his colleagues he was heading for Suriyawewa, when his vehicle was ambushed at Miriswatte, Kosgoda, and shot at. On hearing the news IGP Chandra Fernando detailed a special CID team to investigate the matter. Wambotta, a native of Suriyawewa was the most dreaded criminal in recent times. His criminal career began while operating with another notorious underworld figure called Sunil Ratnaweera of Suriyawewa. Subsequently he fell out with Ratnaweera and became one of his arch enemies. In fact Wambotta was arrested by the police a few months ago and was in remand custody but was subsequently released by the courts. Once upon a time he was a vendor who sold brinjals and was nicknamed Wambotta. He was a close associate of the Provincial Council Member Chandi Malli who was shot dead at York street Fort some time ago. Hostilities between Ratnaweera and Wambotta factions became worse after the killing of Chandi Malli. This led to the killing of Ratnaweera and a prison official, while being escorted by prison officials at Anguna-kolapellesse. Police suspected that Wambotta was behind the killing. Meanwhile the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) was able to bust up a major extortion racket in the Dambulla area where several businessmen became victims of an extortionist gang. Dambulla is an agro based town where cultivators from many parts of the country had settled down to grow vegetables and cash crops. The farmers became rich which attracted the underworld criminals to the area. Targets Several wealthy businessmen in the past few months became the targets of several gangs who successfully managed to extort millions of rupees from the wealthy businessmen. They had also threatened to kill their families if they simply did not accede to their demands. Businessmen were too scared to complain. Due to the fear psychosis, many had given large sums of ransom money to extortionists in the area. The extortion racket continued unabated for more than eight months, before the Police Headquarters came to know about it. A wealthy businessman came down to Police Headquarters and lodged a complaint that four underworld men stormed into his house and robbed Cash worth Rs. 15,000, a cellular mobile phone and some jewellery after threatening to kill his family members with an automatic weapon. They had also demanded Rs. 2.5 million from the businessman and had told him to bring along cash of Rs. 1 million to a spot at Kekirwa road Dambulla and hand it over to a person wearing a red shirt. The businessman had sent his brother with the money which he had given to a person clad in a red shirt. Realising the seriousness of the complaint the IGP, Chandra Fernando referred the matter to the Director of the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) SSP, Sarath Lugoda for an inquiry. Director Lugoda questioned the businessman at length and detailed a special team to track down the mysterious extortionists. The CCD detectives were able to arrest two illicit liquor dealers and later a Police Constable attached to the Dambulla Police station. They also learnt that the Illicit liquor dealer had to bribe the police by paying Rs. 75,000 every month. Later three more suspects involved in the extortionist racket were arrested and produced before the Dambulla Magistrate. The suspects have been remanded till an identification parade is held. |
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Another underworld figure identified as one Sumedha who was seated
alongside Wambotta in the front seat of their Caravan vehicle in which they
were travelling, also succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the
Avissawella hospital. Meanwhile, another underworld figure seriously wounded
in the attack was admitted to the Homagama hospital. Two other persons who
were travelling with Wambotta were later arrested by the Kosgama police.
They were unhurt in the attack. 
