Bold and brutal

Despite the much touted security measures in place the killing spree appears to be continuing unabated as indicated by this week’s discovery of a burnt van with five charred bodies in Dankotuwa:

by Ranil Wijayapala

The five charred bodies inside a burnt vehicle in Buthgampola, Dankotuwa on March 11 has brought the broad daylight shooting to a new dimension in the backdrop of the intense security launched by the police with the support of the intelligence network and the military to check the rising crime wave in the country.

The police though have not arrived at a conclusion about the ongoing shooting incidents, believe the incidents may have triggered due to rivalries among underworld gangs operating in different parts of the country and the incident in Dankotuwa could be attributed to such rivalries.

However, the public is baffled over the ongoing daylight shooting incidents as it has prompted the government to impose snap road blocks in certain Police Divisions specially in the Western Province and people fear that it would once again create a situation that prevailed in the country during the time of the conflict.

Charred bodies

Inquiries into the Dankotuwa incident, the Police has found that the burnt vehicle bearing the registration number WP PH- 1080 with the charred bodies have been driven by a person from Pannala who had worked with a leasing company to seize the vehicles with defaulted leasing instalments.

However, his wife who had arrived at the scene could not recognise her husband’s body among the others as they were charred beyond recognition. The bodies were taken to the Negombo General Hospital for identification.

It is believed that the vehicle had been taken there after executing the five people who were occupying the back seats of the van as no bodies were found in the front seats.

Magisterial inquiry in progress

Charred bodies readied for inquest. pix: Prasad Poornamal

The incident in Dankotuwa is believed to be a part of the ongoing series of killings at an extensive plan has been launched by the Police to control criminal activities in the Western Province and other parts of the country.

Gangsters

Special Police teams were deployed on March 5, in the Western Province under the supervision of Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara in charge of the Western Province to control the activities of the gangsters, drug dealers and the criminals.

They will assist the police stations in the Western Province to visit the crime scenes in Police Divisions.

The Police Stations have also been directed to impose snap road blocks at pre identified places for two to three hours once signals are out from the Senior DIG Office in the Western Province. Those special Police units were deployed to assist 102 Police Stations in the province to effectively deal with the gangsters.

An updated list of wanted criminals, gangsters and drug dealers has been made with the assistance of state intelligence agencies to be given to these teams to make arrests.

According to Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara, the security plan is enforced in the Western Province and it had delivered results during the past week.

“We are planning to impose those road blocks frequently to control the situation and I believe the Dankotuwa incident had occurred as these criminals could not freely operate in the province due to the increased presence of the Police personnel”, he added.

“We are frequently monitoring the situation and reviewing the progress of the teams deployed in each DIG Division in the Western Province to combat this situation. I receive feedback from Police stations and also from the DIGs in charge of the respective Divisions in the province regarding the implementation of the program”, he added.

The Police on March 8, arrested the suspect in connection with the shooting incident where a 23 year-old pregnant mother was injured in front of the Welikada prison on March 5 after she was shot at mistakenly for the wife of ‘Samayan’ who was shot at in September 2015 at the Kaduwela Magistrates Court premises.

The 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody in the Weligama Police Division along with a live hand grenade and five mobile phone.

Investigations

According to Police Spokesman, ASP Ruwan Gunasekara except for the arrest in connection with the shooting incident in front of Welikada prison, no one has been arrested over the shooting incidents that had taken place in the Western province and in the South.

Police teams investigating in to these shooting incidents, reveals that T56 rifles and modern pistols were used in all incidents reported during the past few weeks.

Shooting incidents were reported in Weeraketiya on February 28 and the prison bus in which Dematagoda Chaminda an accused in Baharatha Lakashman Premachandra assassination case was travelling, was shot at near Maligawatta burial ground on March 2 inflicting two bullet injuries to Dematagoda Chaminda.

Another shooting incident was reported on March 3 at Welikada Obesekarapura. On March 4 two shooting incidents were reported in two different locations one in Kochchikade, Madampella and at Delgaha junction in Baddegama. On March 5 a pregnant woman near the Welikada prisons was shot at by gunmen came in a motrobyke.

According to Nandana Munasinghe, Senior DIG Crime and Traffic, similar type of incidents had reported time to time in the country due to the rivalries among criminal gangs.

“We don’t see any pattern behind these incidents and these gangs are operating in different parts of the country”, he added.

“With regard to the prisoners under threat what we can do is to assess their threats and take adequate security measures when transporting them to courts”, he added.

Prof. Siri Hettige who is also the Chairman of the Police Commission said from time to time crimes are committed in different forms. When the country was first experiencing the drugs, underworld gangs clash each other to take the business in to their hand.

“Likewise different groups at different times are involved in these crimes and we need to have a broader picture and study to comment on this situation”, he added.

JMO’s role in crime solving

Dr. Ajith Tennakoon

As the crime wave in the country is on the rise, the crime-solving mechanism plays an important role, as the perpetrators of these crimes tend to mislead the law enforcement authorities conducting investigations. In many instances, there are no eyewitnesses to these crimes, making it difficult for investigators.The perpetrators of the heinous crime committed on five- year-old, Seya Sadewmi. The judgment is due to be delivered on March 15 by the Negombo Magistrate. The judgement will be based on the biological traces of the perpetrator found on the body of Seya Sadewmi. If not for these traces found by the JMO who conducted judicial medical investigation, a wrong man would have ended behind bars today.

The JMO plays a pivotal role in crime-solving and evidence before court has acquitted suspects who were behind bars for long periods for crimes that had never been committed.

The vital biological traces found at the murder scenes in Kotakethana, finally solved the mystery murder series in Kotakethana after Police found the suspected DNA profile on a suspect. Police had been on the lookout for the suspect for sometime.

Dr. Ajith Tennakoon, Chief JMO of Colombo said the role of forensic experts played a crucial role in crime- solving. Pathologists too had a similar role to play.

“We are independent witness and we give an independent unbiased opinion to bring justice to the victim as well as to society because the crime is considered as an infringement against society. Individuals may die but the crime is committed against society. Our duty is to serve society and do justice,” Dr. Tennakoon said.

JMOs in Sri Lanka play the dual role of forensic medical pathologist and clinical forensic pathologist unlike in the practice in other countries where it is carried out by two different individuals. A forensic medical pathologists deals with bodies, identifying the bodies, finding the cause of death and the way he or she is killed. in the case of a murder, to support investigators to recreate the crime scene.

On the other hand, a clinical forensic pathologist examines the victims of criminal offences such as sexual abuse, child abuse, gender- based violence, accidents and street violence. In other countries this role is fulfilled by the Police.

“In clinical forensic medicine, the JMO examines the victim in sexual abuse cases and often sexual offences do not take place in public,” he said.

“Usually in these cases there is only the victim and the perpetrator. No one is there to prove what has happened. To corroborate evidence, medical evidence was crucial and JMOs play this crucial part in identifying the perpetrators,” he said. Dr.Tennakoon said apart from the gun culture that is spreading, child abuse, sexual abuse and, street violence were on the rise. “Child abuse cases were reaching alarming proportions,” he said.

“I think statistics from the National Child Protection Authority last year, about 3000 child abuse cases were reported while from Colombo alone a 1000 cases were reported,” he said.

The reason for this is children and parents are unaware about this. Massive awareness campaign should be launched to control this situation, he added.

“Prevention is good but again if something happens, the public should know how to get about it . In a sexual abuse case it is important for a victim to go to the police station and subject to a medical examination as soon as possible. Otherwise the traces will be lost. Then of course we are not in a position to find the traces”, he added.

However, he said there is a need to have central institution to keep the records of the criminal investigations to support criminal investigations as the records are maintained in an individual capacity by the JMO.