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| Sunday, 16 May 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Humour in uniform Retired Police Inspector Bandula Seneviratna continues his series of sketches of Police Inspectors of his time, who were all unique and colourful in their own way.
This was not occurring during the era of Inspector Thedias. He was called into the witness box by the prosecution. He takes a swig from the production bottle, rolls it inside the mouth, swallows it and gave evidence on oath that it was Government Arrack. This evidence which could be termed as 'Expert evidence' was accepted by Court and many a suspect was convicted of the offence. However, Inspector Thedias limited this evidence for only three cases a day, for reasons best known to him. Rahula Silva was a man of enormous proportions. He often said in jest, "I am Rahula, the son of Lord Buddha". He was a fine Crime Investigator who solved many mysterious cases of murder. There was an instance where he travelled on the hammock which is found to store hay under a double bullock cart, to arrest an accused wanted for murder. It is well-known in many circles that superior officers made use of him when he was in the limelight, but dropped him like a hot piece of coal, when he was in trouble. He was not protected and guided by them and ultimately ended up in misery.
Walter Liyanage was a daring Inspector who knew no fear. He jumped out of a moving Helicopter at Wellawaya with his men, to surround a Ganja Cultivation and took into custody some of the most dangerous people involved in Ganja - Chena cultivation. In the process of his jump from the chopper, he sustained permanent damage to his skull bone, with which he worked until he retired. He had a pet aversion to those youngsters who wore tight pairs of shorts and tight short sleeved shirts, almost pasted to the skin. He hated them. |
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The stalwart that comes uppermost to my mind is Inspector Thedias, a
tall man with a prominent nose. His presence was felt at Maligakanda
Magistrate's Court - Every week during the early nineteen sixties (1960s).
Sale of Government Arrack without a permit is an offence under the Excise
Ordinance and the production arrack had to be sent to the Government
analyst for a report to say that the arrack sold illicitly was Government
arrack.
When this writer was undergoing training as a Sub-Inspector in 1959, he
and his batchmates were taken to the Police Station where Rahula Silva was
Officer-in-Charge, to show the trainees how a Police station should be
run. As a matter of fact, this was a model Police station which
illustrates the high esteem in which Rahula Silva was held.
