Senior DIG to probe Uva election violence inquiries

by Kurulu Kariyakarawana

IGP N. K. Illangakoon yesterday appointed a senior Deputy Inspector General to ‘speed up’ and finalise the investigations related to complaints of election violence and violations of election laws in the Uva Province, the Police Headquarters announced.

SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe had been instructed to monitor the police teams engaged in investigating into the complaints and to report back only after all the inquiries are finalised.

IGP had also ordered the senior police officials in charge of Uva Province and its constituent districts including DIGs, Senior Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents to arrest all the wanted suspects without delay and complete the inquiries.

Uva provincial election period which was started on July 12 ended yesterday and the police have received 98 complaints. Of this, the UPFA had lodged 25 complaints, the UNP - 26 complaints, the JVP - 36 complaints, Democratic Party - six, and other parties have lodged five. District-wise the police received 56 complaints from the Moneragala district and 42 from Badulla district and 83 suspects had been taken into custody by yesterday. Of the 98 complaints 22 were related to post-election violence.