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Deshabandu attack suspects’ lawyer claims Police postponing identification parade 

12 May 2022

  • Police say postponed as driver-cum-witness in hospital 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera  President’s Counsel (PC) Maithri Gunaratne, who appeared on behalf of the three suspects who were arrested over the physical attack on Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) in charge of the Western Province (WP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, has claimed that the Police is postponing the identification parade pertaining to the incident in order to extend the suspects’ time in remand custody. Although the identification parade was scheduled to be held yesterday (12), it was not held as the Kollupitiya Police informed the Court that the police driver who was with Tennakoon at the time of the attack is currently receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Narahenpita. The Police also informed the Court that Tennakoon and a Superintendent of Police, the latter who had also been at the scene, have been instructed to rest. Accordingly, Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage announced that the identification parade would be rescheduled, taking into account the submissions made by the Police, and ordered to further remand the suspects until 19 May. Tennakoon was attacked by a group of protestors near Beira Lake in Colombo on Tuesday (10). Video footage of the incident, which was shared on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, showed a group of protestors asking Tennakoon, the latter who was in plainclothes at that time, as to who had ordered the attack on the protestors in front of the Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green on Monday (9). They continued to ask the SDIG questions such as “Who ordered to attack us?” and “Who ordered the attack on our freedom struggle?”  Around 25 protestors had surrounded him at that time and the videos showed Tennakoon moving forward. When he started moving forward, someone said “attack him”, and one person was seen slapping the SDIG at that point. After that, a few of the protestors were seen attacking him. After the incident, the Police had reportedly fired several shots to disperse the crowd and three suspects were arrested in connection with the incident on the same day.


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