Panadura Chief Magistrate Chaminda Liyanage ordered police to forward the extracts of the two investigation reports on the Panadura alleged petrol bomb hurling incidents on May 15, 2017 to the Attorney General and obtain his advice and submit the reports to Court.
When the five suspects in the case were produced before Court from the remand on Thursday, the lawyers appearing for them levelled serious allegations against police for misleading Court regarding the two incidents to turned them out as a racial and religious incidents occurred in Panadura during the second week of May 2017.
Police had submitted contradictory B Report to Court to keep the suspects in remand misleading the Court without any evidence against them, the lawyers told court.
The Attorney-at-law told court that on May 15 a shop had been damaged at Eluwila, Panadura opposite the Mosque.
Panadura South Police Chief Inspector Indika Thusara de Silva investigated the incident with the crime branch officials and submitted the first B Report to court that the police had recovered a bottle containing some oil from the location.
The shop had been damaged causing a Rs. 10,000 loss to its owner. But evidence hardly proved that petrol bombs had been hurled at the shop to incite racial or religious disturbances in the area, they told court.
Lawyer Major Ajith Prasanna told Court that on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, Colombo Crime Division OIC Chief Inspector Neville De Silva had investigated the two incidents. Police suspected that petrol bombs had been hurled at the shop at Eluwiwla, Panadura and a mosque but evidence did not prove that petrol bombs had been hurled. “If petrol bombs had been found, police should have summoned the Sri Lanka Army Bomb squad to conduct investigations, he told court.
Lawyer Amila Nawalage told court police must arrest all three wheeler drivers who possess plastic bottles containing petrol since they keep spare bottles of petrol in their vehicles.
The Chief Magistrate ordered the police to forward the bottles of petrol to the Govt. Analyst for examination and submit reports to the Attorney General.
Police was told to obtain AG’s advice and submit to court on the next hearing date.
The five suspects were further remanded till August 7.