Twenty policemen attached to the Deraniyagala police station were transferred with immediate effect yesterday and the police headquarters termed it as a ‘service requirement’.

However it is speculated that the transfers were given following the murder of 71 year old estate superintended Nihal Perera on July 5. Earlier, the Deraniyagala police OIC was transferred following the killing.

But the police headquarters said the 20 policemen who were transferred had been working at the Deraniyagala police station for a long period.

18 suspects including the former Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmanwere arrested and  are in remand custody over the killing.

The CID took over the investigations after the Deraniyagala police was blamed for not taking necessary action to protect the victim despite complaints by him. The people in the area have also levelled several allegations about the law enforcement authorities in the area.  

The well known estate superintendent was slashed to death by a group of about 15 men who entered his estate when he was supervising it. Three more people who were providing security to him were also slashed by the suspects.

It was found out that the victim had a long standing dispute with an individual who had close connections with a provincial politician in the area.

During the past three months the estate had come under several attacks initiated by the suspects. They had even robbed items from the tea estate during the attacks. But the Deraniyagala police had failed to take action to arrest the suspects involved in the attacks.(Supun Dias)