Three members of the same family are SSPs

by Ananda AGALAKADA

The Sri Lanka Police Department which has a spectacular history of over a century marked another important milestone recently when three brothers from one family became Senior Police Superintendents in service at the same time.

W.N.S. Wickramasinghe from Wadduwa joined the police department in 1942 as a police constable. He married Charlotte Wickramasinghe.

SSP brothers... Harischandra, Jayantha and Wasantha Wickramasinghe

A couple of years later, they were blessed with four sons who were enthusiastic in their studies, excelled in sports and stood out in extra-curricular activities. The eldest was Ranjith Wickramasinge while Harischandra, Jayantha and Wasantha have followed in their father's footsteps.

Harischandra and Wasantha studied at Royal College, Colombo while Jayantha was a Thurstanite.

Harischandra was the college rugby vice captain at the time he left college and joined the police department in 1975. Two years after his entry into the Police Department, Harischandra's father retired as an Inspector of Police, probably never knowing his legacy would continue. Hasrischandra joined the police as a Sub-Inspector in 1975 and served in many police stations. He was the HQI at the Katugastota police station when he was promoted ASP in 1993. He was promoted SSP in 2005. Now he is Chief Security Officer to Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe. He is married and is the father of a daughter and son.

Jayantha Wickramasinghe led the football team of Thurstan College in 1975. He was the pioneer captain. He joined the Police as a Sub-Inspector in 1979. Jayantha was an OIC at the Kollupitiya Police station and was promoted as an ASP in 1994 and SSP in 2005. He served in the UN Peace Corp in South Timor.

Now he is the Director of the Children and Women Bureau in Colombo.

Wasantha Wickramasinghe the youngest also joined the police as a Sub-Inspector in 1982. He was promoted ASP in 1982 and was the HQI at the Kanthale police station. He served in Haiti after being promoted SSP in 2012, he worked as a Director of the police stores in Colombo.

Harischandra and Jayantha were commissioned as SSPs in 2005, when Wasantha earned his laurels as SSP this year the record of three brothers being SSPs from one family was created.

The brothers said that they were able to accomplish this feat due to hard work, discipline and respect for the high command in the police and Defence Establishment. They further said that the unstinted support they received from their parents and spouses have had a positive impact on reaching the present status in their career.