Pottuvil calm after the high drama

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

The situation in Pottuvil has been brought under control following the shooting incident after police opened fire on a mob in Pottuvil killing one person, a senior police officer told the Sunday Observer.

The mob had protested against the arrest of six persons who attacked officials conducting a census of wild elephants. The people had attacked the officials fearing that they were Grease Yakkas.

The latest incident to be reported in connection with the Grease Yakka (Devil) sighting was when a young person waiting near the Vipulananda school in the Kathankudi area to meet his girlfriend was set upon by villagers in the mistaken belief that he was a Grease Yakka. The incident took place around 7.30 am yesterday, a senior police officer told the Sunday Observer.

The villagers surrounded the young man and handed him over to the Kathankudi police who was later remanded pending further investigations. Subsequent inquiries revealed that he was employed at a cement company in Batticaloa and was only waiting to meet his girlfriend. However, since his girlfriend delayed to turn up he had made inquiries from another girl whether he knew his friend’s residence.

Fearing that he was a Boothya, the girl cried for help. On hearing the girl’s screams people set upon him and the people assaulted him mercilessly. According to the police the man was from Mundalama and his girlfriend Sithi from Kathankudi was employed at an ice cream parlour in Batticaloa.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials and others who were conducting a census of wild elephants in Eragama in the Damana area on Friday were attacked by villagers in the belief that they were Grease Yakkas.

Inspector General of Police N.K. Illangakone told the media at police headquarters last week about the myths surrounding the Grease Yakka as reported in some newspapers. He said the Grease Yakka story started spreading in the Kahawatte area following the murder of seven women by disgruntled elements with ulterior motives.

Police took in for questioning the suspects who were linked to these murders dispelling the myth of a Grease Yakka. But, unfortunately, the story of a Grease Yakka had spread to other parts of the country. The Media Spokesman for the Defence Ministry Lakshman Hulugalle said people attacking public property such as police vehicles when they go to arrest the perpetrators of a crime was a serious matter.

The State will be compelled to take stern action against such persons. He appealed to people to give their fullest support to the police to apprehend criminal elements.