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| Sunday, 6 March 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Army Suranga surrenders, more to be rounded up Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe Two teams from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have been despatched to the Southern Province again following the jail break at Embilipitiya last week to apprehend five more dangerous criminals who have not surrended so far.
According to police nineteen prisoners who escaped from the Embilipitiya Magistrate Court have been arrested while some have surrendered to police. Five hardcore criminals wanted in connection with several murders, extortion and other cases in the southern province are still at large. Of the five suspects several are supposed to be army deserters belonging to an underworld faction in the southern province. Meanwhile the Commissioner General of Prisons Rummy Marzook instructed his top officials last week to hold a departmental inquiry with regard to the grenade attack at the Embilipitiya magistrate court and the subsequent escape of Prisoners from remand custody. The Commissioner General told the Sunday Observer that the findings of the inquiry have been forwarded to the Justice Minister for further action. He said that he cannot disclose anything at this juncture due to inquiries conducted by the CID in this regard. According to police several hard core prisoners were brought from far away places like Tangalle and Moneragala Prisons to face trial at the Embilipitiya Magistrate courts. Almost all prisoners in the remand cell escaped when a prisoner named Nalin Suranga flung a hand grenade to create pandemonium in the court house. Following the explosion several prisoners in the cell had escaped along with other people from the court house. Many were seen running away from the court house and some even ducking for cover, police said. Later on receipt of an information, Nalin Suranga was arrested by CID sleuths at Hungama last week. It was learnt that an outside underworld figure named Nuwan present in court that day had passed over the hand grenade to Nalin Suranga while being near the remand cell. It is suspected that the motive for throwing the hand grenade while the proceedings were on was to disrupt proceedings and to afford an opportunity for the remand prisoners to escape. Subsequent investigations have revealed that the plot was hatched at the Tangalle Magistrate court. Nalin Suranga had spoken to an underworld character named Chaminda from a Cellular mobile phone and had inquired whether it was possible for him to send a hand grenade to the Embilipitiya Magistrate court. Subsequent inquiries had reveal that several inmates in the Tangalle Prison were equipped with cellular mobile phones and had even borrowed money from various people. However the investigation into the escape of Prisoners from remand custody is not completed as yet. Several Prison officers are to be quizzed in this regard. The jail break can be cited as one of the biggest episodes in recent times where several remand prisoners had escaped. Meanwhile it had been found that Prison authorities have not requested for additional security from the Embilipitiya Police when dangerous criminals were brought to court that day. The HQI Embilipitita Police said that two armed Policemen and three unarmed policemen were detailed for duty that day at the Embilipitiya Magistrate court. "Had the Prison authorities requested for additional security cover we could have provided more police men to guard the court house premises" he said. Last week the Badulla police arrested Army Suranga when he and other criminals surrendered to the police. They had belonged to the Wambattas gang. When the grenade was flung near the remand cell 'Army Suranga' had been standing near the dock which saved his life. But a Prison officer and two other people died in the attack while 36 persons sustained injuries. Army Suranga had told them that he was frightened to get back to the cell fearing more grenade attacks. He had then walked away from the court house and arrived in the town where he met a friend from whom he had borrowed some money. Following the jail break, police launched a countrywide man hunt for the arrest of hardcore criminals. Later police arrested Sujith Wasantha Kumarasinghe alias Army Suranga, A. Gamage Sarath Bandu and Marappulige Ruwan Pushpakumara, all army deserters who surrendered to the police. |
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Acting on a tip off the Police teams are combing the areas of Tangalle,
Embilipitiya and Moneragala to locate the suspects who are said to be hiding
in safe houses run by the underworld. Meanwhile two persons believed to have
escaped from the Embilipitiya courts have been taken in for questioning by
the CID sleuths. The suspects are being grilled to elicit more information.
