Court acquits security officer of Minister Arjuna Ranatunga of shooting charges

The Colombo Magistrate Court has ordered to release Aruna Sri Nandana Silva, the security officer of Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, who was arrested in connection with the shooting incident that took place at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) on October 28 last year.

When the case was called before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne yesterday, the Colombo Crime Division informed the court that the Attorney General has instructed not to take any action regarding Ministerial Security Officer Aruna Sri Nandana Silva.

Accordingly, the Magistrate has ordered the suspect to be released.

One person was killed and another two persons were injured in the shooting, which occurred when the then-Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga tried to enter his office at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation building in Dematagoda, after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked the Unity Government's Cabinet on 27 October.

A mob blocked the Minister from entering and attacked the Minister, barricading him inside the building, prompting his security officer, who is attached to the Police Ministerial Security Division (MSD), to open fire at the mob, injuring three people. One of the injured later died at the hospital.

The Special Task Force (STF) Police rescued the former Minister from the building, disguising him in a STF uniform.

The officer was arrested and remanded following the shooting, but was later released on bail as ordered by the Colombo High Court.