18 Arrested for assaulting police officers

By Reka Tharangani – Moratuwa

A group of 18 suspects had been arrested by Moratuwa Police in connection with the alleged assault on two officers of the Police Emergency 119 at Madangahawatta in Moratuwa.

They were produced before Moratuwa Acting Magistrate Charatha De Silva yesterday and 15 of them were remanded and others released on personal bail in Rs.100,000 each.

The two police sergeants who intervened to bring under control a clash between two parties had come under assault by an unruly crowd. One of them is under treatment in the Panadura Base Hospital and the other in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital.

Police told the court that the main suspect Sanjeew Fernando alias Kalu Putha had in his possession a hand grenade and that a separate case would be filed on that charge.

Attorneys at Law Shermila De Silva, Prasad Kariyawasam and Sudath Handunge appeared for the suspects. The case was postponed to November 12.