State Minister Arundika resigns to allow independent probe on son’s assault on medical students

State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyrah Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing and Export Diversification Arundika Fernando yesterday announced his resignation to enable an

State Minister Arundika

independent probe on his son’s alleged assault on several medical students.

His son surrendered to Police in connection with the incident of attacking medical faculty students in Ragama on Wednesday.

On 2 February, a group of 10-15 outsiders had forcibly entered the men’s hostel of the Kelaniya University’s Faculty of Medicine in Ragama at around 3 a.m. and attacked several students.

Four students who sustained injuries in the incident were admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, whilst one was later transferred to the Negombo Hospital for further treatment.

Sri Lanka Police said the 23-year-old suspect Avinda Randila Jehan Fernando was a resident of the Dankotuwa area in Walawwatta, adding that he was arrested after surrendering to the Ragama Police through a lawyer.

“If anyone claims that I am connected or involved in the incident, I will definitely resign from the ministerial post and definitely urge the authorities to take action against those involved with an unbiased investigation,” MP Fernando told journalists on Wednesday following the incident.

A total of seven suspects involved in the incident are currently under arrest on charges of assault, causing injuries, forceful entry, unlawful assembly and misuse of a vehicle belonging to a Coconut Development Authority.

The accused including the MP’s son have been remanded till 7 February after being produced at the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday. However, three students from fourth year of the Ragama Medical Faculty arrested by Police for allegedly assaulting a third-year student were granted bail by Wattala Magistrate Court. Those arrested are also scheduled to be presented in an identification parade.

The suspects had reportedly arrived in two cars and had fled after the attack, however, the students had managed to apprehend one of the individuals along with a car, which reportedly belongs to the Coconut Development Authority (CDA).

An official ID, issued in 2018 to a driver of State Minister Arundika Fernando’s personal staff, was found inside the car.

The luxury BMW used by the assailants was meanwhile taken into custody in the area of Kalubowila.

State Ministry Secretary Tissa Hewawitharana has instructed officials to conduct a preliminary investigation into the incident where a vehicle belonging to the CDA was allegedly used to carry out the assault on students of the Ragama Medical Faculty.

He also said that the driver of the vehicle was not attached to the CDA, but a personal staffer of the State Minister.