Attempt to rob Home Guard’s gun foiled , Officer killed and Home Guard injured
An exchange of fire between a gang led by an army officer and three home guards at the 92nd police checkpoint on the Kantalai Road yesterday left a second lieutenant dead and a home guard seriously injured. The incident had occurred when the officer tried to grab the firearm of a home guard, the police said.
According to home guards, the group had come in a van around 1.30 a.m. and inquired from them if they had seen a lorry carrying cattle going past the checkpoint. The home guards had answered in the negative. Provoked by the response, the second lieutenant had abused a home guard and asked him whether it was the way they were carrying out their duty. So saying, he had tried to wrest the home guard’s weapon while another one had got down from the van opening fire on the checkpoint.
The home guards had traded fire. The group had fled leaving the injured second lieutenant, who died. The injured home guard was admitted to hospital.
The deceased has been identified as Sumudu Sameera Mangalaratne (31) of Peliyagoda.
The vehicle used by the gang was later found abandoned near the Kantalai Sarvodaya office. The police had been unable to trace its owner at the time this edition went to press.
Initial investigations have revealed that the man killed had earlier been charged with robberies.
The Kantalai police suspect that army deserters might have assisted this officer in his ‘off duty operations’.
(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/14/news1.html)
