SLA Lieutenant arrested for attempted arms robbery

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 05:43 GMT]
2nd. Lieutenant Mr.Sameera Mangalaratne attached to Soorankal Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detachment was identified as the person who was killed in the fire-fight with home guards in Mullipottan in the Kantalai police division on Monday, Police said. Another army lieutenant has been arrested and three other soldiers are evading arrest, the police added.

Initial investigations revealed that the fire fight erupted when the SLA official and four other soldiers attempted to rob arms from a police-home guard checkpoint at Vendarasanpura in Mullipottana, Kantalai Police added.

Home guard of the Kantalai Police, Mr.Chaminda Kumara, was seriously injured and has been admitted at the Kurunagala hospital, medical sources said.

Police investigation conducted revealed that a group of soldiers from Soorankal camp had left in a vehicle Sunday night, had parked the vehicle some distance away and had walked into the police-home guard checkpoint. The firefight that ensued during the attempt to robbery, one SLA officer was killed and a home guard was injured. Thereafter the four soldiers had fled in the vehicle leaving the dead, the police said.

Police recovered the vehicle, which was abandoned in the premises of the Sarvodhaya office in the area.

The Police and SLA are jointly conducting further investigations into the incident, Police said.