General Election 2015:

Bloemendhal shooting - no arrests so far

by Manjula Fernando

Reporting the first major poll-related incident in the 2015 General Election, a UNF supporter was gunned down and 12 others were injured in Bloemendhal Road, Kotahena on Friday, at an election rally of Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

A police officer at the scene of the crime Pic. AFP

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake visited the Colombo National Hospital and met the victims Pic: Omlanka.net

No arrests were made in connection with the shooting as of yesterday. However, police were investigating a black car abandoned on Friday evening near Bloemendhal housing scheme.

Investigation officers have found a T-56 magazine and 20 live bullets inside the car. "We have not established that this was the car the suspects arrived in but investigations are on-going on that premise," a police spokesperson said.

A large gathering of about 500 supporters took part in the house-to-house campaign, organised to muster support for UNF candidate, Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The Minister had a close shave while a mother of three, Sithy Nasima of Madampitiya was killed on the spot. Twelve others were admitted to hospital with injuries including five in a serious condition. Investigations have been taken over by the CID and the Colombo Crimes Division.

The police are also on the lookout for a person known as Army Sampath, an underworld criminal of the area in connection with the incident.

On Friday, four attackers clad in black, arrived at a campaign near St. Benedict's College grounds at Bloemendhal Road, shooting indiscriminately at everyone on sight, armed with automatic weapons. Eyewitnesses said they arrived in a black hybrid car, descended quietly and carried on their rampage for ten minutes around 11.00am.

Soon after the incident, UNP General Secretary in a release said, "The most recent incident of violence which took place at Bloemendhal Road, Colombo clearly demonstrates the plans of those elements who reject the culture of good governance and their intent on winning elections by unleashing terror."

Extending condolences to the victim's family, he said, "We will not leave room to retard our efforts to establish a civilized political culture."

Minister Ravi Karunanayuake making an on-the-spot statement to the media, attributed the incident to the raucous elements in the former regime who conspire with party goons to revive the white van era.

"This attack comes in the wake of the Government's attempts to expose and punish those involved in ethanol, drugs and other illegal activities." He said people will not fall prey to the fear psychosis which reigned the country earlier but will give a fitting reply on August 17.

Election monitors expressed shock over Friday's incident and called on all parties for restraint to ensure a violence-free election.

PAFFREL Chairman, Rohana Hettiarachchi said they condemn the incident but added that every effort must be taken by political parties and the police to prevent tit-for-tat action by supporters. He said it was premature to comment if this was an inter-party or intra-party incident but added that underworld involvement cannot be ruled out considering the place and the manner in which the incident took place.

CaFFE said this is the worst thing that can happen in any election campaign. CaFFE executive Director, Keerthi Tennakoon said the police need to ensure that law and order is protected throughout the campaign period while party leaders needed to reign in their supporters.