• He had reportedly ignored an order to stop at the checkpoint

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Corporal attached to the Sri  Lanka Air Force Rugby pool, believed to be the main suspect in the  shooting incident at Moragahahena where two persons were killed, was  killed in a shooting by the Police and Special Task Force (STF) at  Angamuwa in Padukka yesterday morning.   

Based on information, a police team checked the house of  the deceased suspect in the Miriagalla area in Padukka and since the suspect  was not at home at that time, the police put a roadblock at the  Angamuwa Junction to check the vehicles.   

Police said the 33-year-old deceased, a resident of Padukka  had reportedly ignored an order to stop at the checkpoint during a  Police-STF operation yesterday morning. 

The victim was riding a  motorcycle at the time of the incident.   

Police said the motorcyclist allegedly opened fire at the  police personnel. Subsequently, when the police returned fire, the  motorcyclist had sustained injuries and had died on admission to the  Padukka Hospital.   

Meanwhile, SLAF spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe  said that the SLAF Commander has initiated an inquiry into the incident.    

Preliminary findings point to an exchange of fire between  the SLAF Corporal (volunteer) and the police officers who were at the  checkpoint. According to the information of Police, the injured  Corporal, who was off duty, had succumbed to his injuries once  hospitalised.   

The SLAF takes seriously any involvement of its personnel  in criminal activities and will work closely with law enforcement  agencies to investigate into the incident, the SLAF spokesman said. 

 
On Sunday, two individuals who were travelling in a  three-wheeler were killed in a shooting by a group that arrived in a  car at Thalgahawila, Moragahahena.   

The police have revealed that the SLAF Corporal was the  shooter in the shooting incident in Moragahahena. It was also, reported  that he is also the shooter of an organized criminal and drug dealer Thanuja Sampath alias Homagama “Handaya” who  is currently hiding abroad.