Former Kegalle SSP and other police officers arrested over Rambukkana shooting

The Court of Appeal today issued notices to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to present submissions with regard to a writ application filed over the Rambukkana police shooting incident.

The writ application challenges the order issued by the Kegalle Magistrate sanctioning the arrest of former Kegalle SSP K.B. Keerthiratna and several other police officers n connection with the fatal shooting during a protest in Rambukkana on the 19th of April.

When the case pertaining to the incident was taken up at Kegalle Magistrate’s Court in April, the former Kegalle SSP had 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.