Through a mesh of ventilator tubes in the Intensive Care Unit, the Borella Police Traffic OIC was struggling for life, as investigating officers attempted to put the pieces together in last Sunday’s brutal hit and run case where he was reduced to a ‘mass of human flesh’.
The tragic and outrageous incident, caught on CCTV camera brought goosebumps to all those who were tuned in to the late night news on Sunday.
Inspector Ananda Sagara Sarathchandra, was on his way for duty in his official motorbike around 4.30 am when the speeding white defender mercilessly ran him over and fled.Graphic CCTV footage showed the defender hitting the motor bike at the Duplication Road -Bauddhaloka Mawatha intersection at Bambalapitiya. The motor bike and the OIC were thrown several feet in the air like two soft balls with the impact. The next moment the uniformed figure is seen being run over by the huge jeep and dragged along the road, and at the end reducing him to a helpless, awkwardly shaped figure in the dim light of the CCTV footage.
Later, the defender with a Toyata V8 in tow flees the scene and two bystanders were seen rushing and taking the OIC on to the curb.
National Coordinator,Accident Service, NHC, Pushpa Ramyani de Soysa said on Friday afternoon that the Inspector was in a very critical condition when he was brought to the hospital in the wee hours of Sunday and that his condition has not improved since then.
The father of three had suffered head injuries, multiple fractures to his limbs and massive damage to his pelvic area. Since the gruesome road accident he has not regained consciousness and is on life support.
“He is still in a very critical condition,” she said adding that it was too early to predict whether his condition will improve. The Bambalapitiya police arrested eight people in connection with the road accident although the usual practice is to arrest only the driver. The charges against them include failure to prevent the accident caused by speeding, not reporting the accident and aiding and abetting the driver to flee and hide the vehicle.The eight suspects , one female and seven men, surrendered to the police the day after the accident.
They were produced before the Hulftsdorp Chief Magistrate on Monday afternoon and were released on bail except the driver who was remanded. “Initial investigations into the case are almost over and we expect to wrap it up within another three days,” DIG Traffic, Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Observer on Friday.
He said, “According to the latest investigations it is suspected that the white defender is locally assembled and the police are trying to ascertain whether it had been smuggled into the country.”
Navindu Omesh Ratnayake, 27 of Malabe who was at the wheel at the time has been charged with attempted murder. He is the son of a senior police officer attached to the President’s Security Division.
The four others in the defender have been identified as parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s son Ranishka Aluthgamage 26, Vindya Weerasinghe 27, Sesitha Randip Gunadasa 28 and Ransigoda Arachchige Visitha Sri Wijesekera, 27 under whose name the suspect vehicle is registered.
It is said that the owner was seated next to the driver at the time of the accident.
A second vehicle, a Prado which accompanied the defender was also detained in connection with the hit and run case and the three passengers, Municipal Council Member Duminda Sudammika Attygalle 28, Kiran Matthew, 23 and Dulanjana Dabare, 28 were arrested by the police. The owner of the Prado is the Councillor.
The police investigators located the defender hidden at a residence in Battaramulla, Pelawatte the same afternoon.
“We have ascertained the identity of the driver through CCTV footage and there is no ambiguity on that,” the DIG said. He also said that the Traffic OIC was following the green light but the speeding Defender had jumped the red light to hit the motorbike which was coming from its left towards Bambalapitiya. The Defender was travelling from the direction of Kollupitiya towards Wellawatte on Duplication road.
“The traffic lights scene was not clear in the CCTV footage as it happened during the early hours when it was still dark. But the technical experts confirmed the OIC was following the green light, “ DIG Rohana said.
The OIC who met with the tragic accident due to the carelessness and lawlessness of the young men, who are suspected to have been drunk at the time, was posted to the Borella police about three months ago, a fellow officer at the Borella Traffic division said adding that he had two grown up sons and a daughter who is still schooling.
The doctors are not optimistic that his condition will improve as the victim has unstoppable internal bleeding on his head and critical injuries to multiple organs. The next of kin has been informed of his condition, a hospital source said.
The seven accomplices in the hit and run case had been enlarged on bail and only the driver of the Defender was in remand custody as at yesterday. The case will be taken up again at the Hulftsdorp Magistrate Court No.3 on March 11.
The people await justice for the victim.