• The mob while under the influence of alcohol had damaged the property at the restaurant as they had not been permitted to enter the premises

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack on a beach restaurant at Narigama in Hikkaduwa where a mob chased away foreign tourists and attacked the restaurant.    

Police said the Hikkaduwa Police had launched an investigation following a complaint that a group of persons had entered a restaurant during a musical event and chased away foreign guests, and attacked the restaurant’s with swords and clubs and also damaged two cars parked on the road last Sunday.   
A senior police officer told Daily Mirror that investigations had revealed that the mob while under the influence of alcohol had damaged the property at the restaurant as they had not been permitted to enter the premises.  The Police arrested three suspects in Gonapinuwala and Hikkaduwa a day after the attack while another suspect was arrested on Tuesday from Meetiyagoda. Police also recovered a live grenade and two swords from one of the suspects. The arrested suspects aged 31, 37 and 45 are residents of Gonapinuwala, Dodanduwa and Hikkaduwa.   
It was revealed that one of the four suspects, was wanted for three murder cases pending in the Balapitiya High Court and Galle Additional Magistrate’s Court while another suspect is the main suspect over an attempted murder in Meetiyagoda.   

Police said three suspects were produced before Galle Additional Magistrate’s Court while the other suspect was produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate’s Court and all of them were remanded till February 28. The Hikkaduwa Police are conducting further investigations to arrest another suspect in connection with the attack.