12.7.2008
by Norman Palihawadena
The
Officer in Charge of the Kalmunai Police Station Chief
Inspector W. C. Wijetilleke (57)committed suicide at dawn
yesterday by shooting himself with a T-56 service rifle
inside the police quarters, police said.
Sources
said initial investigations revealed that the OIC was
distressed over a transfer order received on Thursday
night. Earlier in the day, a high ranking Police officer
of the Ampara division had reprimanded him over his inability
to arrest the suspects involved in the killing of three
men on Thursday morning.
Three
mattress traders from Mawathagama were shot dead in Kalmunai
on Thursday morning and till late in the evening Police
were clueless about the suspects. According to sources
he was reprimanded over this incident and had received
orders to go to Ampara on Friday.
According
to Police sources, Wijetilleke, a father of two, is from
Divulapitiya and rose up to the rank of Chief Inspector
after joining the Police Department as a constable. He
was an honest and hard working officer, sources said.
On
hearing of his transfer, an ASP in Ampara had inquired
from him about it. Wijetilleke had explained that in Ampara
he would have to work under an officer junior to him and
expressed his displeasure over this transfer. However,
the ASP had consoled him and promised to sort out matters
once he arrived in Ampara on Friday
Wijetilleke
had written a note before his death requesting his colleagues
to hand over some cash he had in the almirah to his family.
Inspector
Jameel, who was in the adjoining room, on hearing the
gun shot at 4.30 a.m. had broken open the door of the
deceased’s room and found him bleeding. He had apparently
sat on the bed, kept the T-56 weapon between his legs
and pulled the trigger.
Courtesy - The Island