A consultant doctor and a retired lecturer who were arrested on charges of berating and threatening police officers who went to check the car they were traveling in, while on night patrol were released on bail by the Kesbewa Magistrate yesterday (23) subsequent to being produced in court.
The suspects are a retired lecturer of the Sri Jayawardhnapura University residing in Mattegoda area and a consultant doctor residing in Nawala, working at the Homagama Base Hospital. A drinking party had been held at the lecturer’s house on May 22 and the doctor who had participated had left with his friend, the retired lecturer in his car at around 4 am to go to Nawala.
At that time, a team of officers of the Mattegoda police had stopped and checked some cars that were driving at high speed, near the Maththegoda petrol station.
The doctor who was driving the car was under the influence of alcohol and the police officers had explained the situation and attempted to arrest him, the lecturer, who was seated in the passenger seat had got out of the car and said that he knew high-ranking police officers, obstructed the officers’ inspections, scolded them with harsh words and threatened them and behaved in a chaotic manner.
On several occasions, the lecturer had even made telephone calls to senior police officers saying that he knew them, and because there had been no response, he had scolded high-ranking officers with harsh words and behaved violently.
Police also said that the consultant doctor did not threaten the police officers at that time. Later, officers who were on night patrol had made a phone call to the police station and got down another team of officers to the scene and had taken the car and its two occupants into custody. During a subsequent examination, it had been revealed that the doctor and the former lecturer were both intoxicated.
Accordingly, the doctor who was arrested for drunken driving and the retired lecturer who had threatened police officers was arrested for undue coercion and threatening the police officers and obstruction of duty and produced before the Kesbewa Court where they were released on bail.
Investigations are being conducted on the instructions of Inspector Indika Kumara, Officer-In-Charge of the Mattegoda Police.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – 01:00
