A senior police officer has disclosed that the investigation into the shooting incident at a Weligama hotel on December 31 last year—allegedly involving officers from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD)—is uncovering evidence suggesting that the attack was motivated by personal reasons.
According to the officer, several police personnel implicated in the illegal operation are set to be arrested soon. Additionally, action will be taken against the senior officials who directed the officers to carry out the unlawful act.
It has come to light that a group of CCD officers had traveled from Colombo to Weligama in a van fitted with fake number plates to reach the hotel.
Following the shooting, which was carried out by the CCD officers in civilian clothing, a night patrol team from the Weligama Police arrived at the scene after the hotel alerted the emergency call center. Upon noticing the Weligama Police mobile unit, the CCD officers reportedly fled the scene in their van. Despite repeated orders to stop, the van continued its escape, prompting a Weligama Police soldier in the patrol jeep to fire at the vehicle, mistaking it for a group of criminals.
The van, carrying the CCD officers, did not stop despite the shots, leading to two officers being hit. Instead of rushing the injured officers to the nearby Weligama Hospital, the group attempted to enter the expressway at Imaduwa in an apparent bid to flee to Colombo. Meanwhile, the Weligama Police had already alerted other units via radio communication.
When the van, with a shattered rear window, reached the expressway entrance, officers there stopped it for inspection. Tragically, during this time, a police sergeant who had been shot succumbed to his injuries due to excessive bleeding, while a Sub-Inspector, also injured, was in critical condition.
The CCD officers reportedly attempted to assert their identity to avoid detention, but expressway officers, suspicious of the circumstances and aware of the alerts, prevented them from escaping. It has also been revealed that several senior police officers from Colombo attempted to intervene via phone calls to facilitate the van’s release and its return to Colombo. Despite this, the expressway officers held their ground, citing the suspicious nature of the incident and the gunfire damage to the van.
Subsequently, senior police officials and political authorities alleged that the CCD officers were conducting a legitimate operation to apprehend criminals, claiming that the Weligama Police had unjustly opened fire on their vehicle.
Pressure was reportedly placed on the police authorities in the Southern Province to arrest the soldier and Weligama officers involved in the shooting. However, the local police leadership resisted such demands, ensuring that the incident was documented accurately. This resistance led to a lack of transparency in the subsequent investigations, and the case remained inadequately probed.
Investigators now reveal that the slain police sergeant was posthumously promoted to Sub-Inspector and awarded an unprecedented financial reward. The then-president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, personally granted Rs. 2.5 million in recognition of what was described as an act of heroism.
