Rambukkana police shooting: Four police officers including former Kegalle SSP remanded

Four police officers including the former Kegalle SSP arrested for shooting at unarmed protesters in Rambukkana on 19 April have been remanded.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalini Perera yesterday ordered to remand former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in charge of Kegalle Police Division K.B. Keerthiratne until 6 May 2022.

The three police constables who were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a protester during the 19 April protest, have been remanded until 13 May when they were produced before the Theldeniya Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The former Kegalle SSP was taken into custody by the CID in Colombo on Thursday while three other police personnel were arrested at Kundasale in Kandy.

The Criminal Investigations Department arrested the four police officers on the orders, of the Kegalle Magistrate Vasana Navaratne, to immediately arrest the suspects and produce them in court.

SSP Kirthiratne has acknowledged that he ordered the police officers to use minimum force and shoot below the knee to quell the unrest in Rambukkana on 19 April.