By Se. Piyawardena.
Rajapakse Pathirage Dimantha Lakmal, who was an air force corporal and a rugby player, was killed in police firing at Padukka, Angamu on April 8.
Web media has reported based on Air Force information that 33-year-old Dimantha Lakmal was a gold medal-winning rugby player.
Police Media Spokesperson, DIG, Attorney at Law Nihal Talduwa told the media that the deceased is suspected to be the shooter involved in the double homicide that took place in Talgahavila area of Horana on 07.
The police spokesperson told the media that the investigating officers reported to him that he is the main suspect in the murder and that he is a drug addict.
This killing is in line with the police method of killing suspects within 24 hours as pointed out by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. In this way, they are killed immediately so that there will be no time go to the court and get an order against extrajudicial killing.
On April 7, Horana’s double murder took place at around 11.00 pm. His adoptive aunt Mallika Rajapaksa has stated to the web media that Lakmal, who was with his girlfriend in Wattala miles away from the crime scene at that time.
If so, has the police spokesperson called for a report on this statement by Mallika Rajapaksa?
Did the police spokesperson, who is also a lawyer, get a report of Lakmal’s blood sample before saying that he was a drug addict?
Before the matches Air Force Rugby team play blood samples of players are checked for banned substances. Did the police spokesperson not know that blood samples were being thus tested? If known, did he asked for a report from the Air Force before making such a statement?
Does the Police Spokesperson know that the Air Force has claimed that Lakmal’s blood tests done before the rugby matches did not confirm that he had taken drugs?
Can a drug addict play a sport that requires extreme physical fitness, such as rugby?
Did you know that Lakmal has not undergone rigorous training in the use of firearms as he has played Air Force rugby for 15 years?
Since the Horana double homicide was carried out with a 09mm pistol on a moving three-wheeler, wouldn’t it take a very sharp shooter to carry out such an attack?
It is not possible to identify any person from the CC TV camera recordings that recorded the double murder of Horana, right?
So how did the investigators find out that Lakmal was the main suspect in the attack?
Was Lakmal killed to protect the real shooter?
Are the media reports that a chief police officer of the Criminal Investigation Department has links with the drug related underworld true?
Are the investigating officers who decided that Lakmal is the main suspect related to that senior police officer?
Seeing that there was a police roadblock at the time of his murder, Lakmal if he was the killer and according to common sense should not immediately reversed the motorcycle and fled, right?
What kind of roadblock had the police and special task force had set up near his house? Was it possible to motorcycle break it and flee?
Would an airman be foolish enough to turn around and fire a Gal katas (a locally made rudimentary gun) at a police team armed with automatic firearms instead of fleeing after breaking through the roadblock?
Are you ready to allow an independent and impartial investigation into this murder by the police? If so, when will that step be taken?