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'Battaramulle Bunty's confession of how he killed Samayan after he was cornered in Sella Kataragama
Battaramulle Bunty who is a main suspect connected to the murder of Ranale Samayan and 4 others by targeting an attack on the prison bus at Kalutara sometime back was cornered by police yesterday (22) in Sella Kataragama.
Bunty a stalwart member of Angoda Lokka's clique is presently confessing how he came to commit the
murder. He has also revealed that Angoda Lokka's initial plan was to open gunfire at the prison bus and to torture Ranale Samayan after capturing him and finally end his life. But as Samayan was in a serious condition as a result of attacks made together with Angoda Lokka after entering the bus; subsequent to assessing the situation, they had come to the conclusion that it was useless taking their victim away; thus Bunty accepting guilt for having killed Samayan in the end.
It is Bunty who takes the major hand in Angoda Lokka's heroin dealings. Having considered the report forwarded by Colombo Criminal Department to detain the suspect till 28th of this month, Kalutara Chief Magistrate Mrs. Bharathi Wijeyratna issued orders yesterday (22) that the suspect be detained and interrogated until the 28th of this month. Bunty has admitted to police that Angoda Lokka had dragged Samayan along the floor of the bus and had shot him on the head near the main door. He has also said that 9 underworld members had accompanied Angoda Lokka to carry out the attack and that 7 of them were members of Angoda Lokka's gang while the other 2 were hands of Makandure Madhusha's gang.
Angoda Lokka has come to launch the attack dressed in the uniform of a police inspector while the other underworld elements had been dressed in uniforms similar to that of prison officers. Angoda Lokka had come dressed in police uniform with the idea of halting the 2 prison buses on their way and for this attack six T - 56 weapons and 1 pistol had been used, he said. What they had earlier planned was to severe Samayan's neck and to place it at Athurugiriya Cemetery, Bunty revealed. As planned in this manner, cash, weapons and 4 members had been sent by Makandure Madusha and over a video call from Jayanthipura Rubberwatta had confirmed that everything was ready and subsequently had gone for the attack, Bunty has said.
It was also revealed that Angoda Lokka and Bunty had got into a Dolphin vehicle robbed from Maradana and with all the attendant assailants have arrived at the Athurugiriya plot of land and had prepared themselves for the attack while the cab brought by Athurugiriye Lada was utilised to restrict the journey of the prison buses during the attack. The envisaged positions targeted were mapped out by Angoda Lokka and the plan finalised 2 days before the incident on Saturday (25) where the assailants were accompanied in the Dolphin van and explaining everything about how the assignment was to be launched while a rehearsal was carried out about the location, it was revealed. It was further exposed that that very night the van concerned was kept waiting at the selected spot for the attack and the group had proceeded by foot upto the front gate of Kalutara Prison in order to ascertain the distance from the prison to the location of the crime at hand, which incidentally was just 200 metres away.
In addition, bunches of some king coconuts had been placed inside the cab brought by Lada to give the impression that they were involved in selling king coconuts. Angoda Lokka has issued instructions to members of the group to assemble once again at rubberwattha the next day (26) night to adorn themselves with uniforms in the van and to share the weapons inside the black-coloured bag. Angoda Lokka has dressed up in a police inspector's uniform while the other 9 had clothed themselves with uniforms similar to those worn by intelligence Officers. After all of them queued up with weapons in their possession it was displayed across a video call to Makandure Madush the day when the attack was to be launched; the gang arriving at the stipulated spot early morning at one thirty.
After 3 gunmen with T - 56 weapons in their possession were stationed at the hilly area with instructions to shoot at the bus. Angoda Lokka, Bunty and 4 others had proceeded under orders to get into the bus and to open fire only after Angoda Lokka was to receive a telephone call that the bus carrying Samayan was on its way. At that point the Tamil guard inside the bus who aimed gunshots in the direction of 4 members of the gang including Angoda Lokka and at which moment the shot had struck Angoda Lokka's boot and bounced off when the assailants who fired in return it ended with the 2 prison officers sacrificing their life as a result. By this time Angoda Lokka, Bunty and 2 others had got into the bus searching for Samayan and his clique with three T - 56 guns and 1 pistol in their hands and had aimed a barrage of shots at this gang including Samayan who already faced gunshots and was injured crawling out. Ultimately the gang was found fleeing in their van in within just a space of few minutes. During the process of their getaway, the suspect revealed that each of the gang members was dropped at various points and all of them were compensated each with a cash sum of Rs. 30,000 which funds had been sent by Madusha.
Bunty said that he was dropped in Panadura and later had come home to Battaramulla and according to a telephone call of Madusha he had come to Matara. After collecting the money of Rs. 1 lakh he had gone to Nuwara Eliya. The suspect Bunty thus revealed the ending to the story. The van involved in the attack was left abandoned in Moragahahena area and after the attack, Lokka and gang had fled in a boat from India to Thel Bala's border and from there onwards had proceeded to another country across international seas, it was revealed.
(Information -- Tissa Ravindra Perera)
