Rambukkana shooting: IGP directs CID to act on court order

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne has directed the Criminal Investigation Department to take immediate action based on the court order given by the magistrate of Kegalle to arrest the police officers who were involved in the Rambukkana shooting incident which claimed the life of a protester and injured many others.

On Wednesday (April 27), Kegalle Magistrate Wasana Nawarathne ordered the IGP to arrest all police personnel involved in the shooting and produce them before the court. Earlier today, the police media division said the IGP is yet to receive the relevant court order for the arrest of the police officers involved in the incident. Thereby, the DIG in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department was instructed to act in accordance with the court order.

When the case pertaining to the incident was taken up at Kegalle Magistrate’s Court, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in charge of Kegalle divulged that he gave orders to open fire below the knees of protesters who attempted to set fire to a fuel bowser during the tense situation. According to him, he had first ordered police personnel to fire in the air when the protesters tried to set fire to a filling station, and later to shoot below the knee to prevent major damage after the protesters attempted to set fire to a fuel bowser.