Mysterious death of constable nabbed with venison

The mysterious death of a 30 year old police constable who was arrested by Wild Life officers with a stock of deer flesh was later released. The deceased Nalaka Chathuranga Hettiaarachchi (No. 72657) aged 30 years was attached to the Karuwalagaswewa Police and was a father of 1 child. The deceased police constable had some years back met with an accident and because he finally ended up as an invalid, higher officials have taken steps to direct him to perform ordinary

The said constable who finished his duties last 10th in the evening was at his home when Wild Life officers had conducted a raid that night and the officers were able to get hold of 15 kgs and 600 grms of venison inside his house in addition to 11 kgs and 800 grms of venison inside the adjoining house of his brother. Later the police constable, his brother and another was taken into custody. The officers who carried out the raid then escorted them to the Wild Life office in Karuwalagaswewa. The Wild Life officers who released the police constable that night itself had taken measures to release the brother and the other person early the following day (11) morning.

Members of the constable's family later had noticed the constable lying on the ground near the kitchen day-before-yesterday (11) morning and even by that time he had passed away. After the Karuwalagaswewa Police was notified of this incident, investigations were launched. An old insecticide vial, a mobile phone supposed to be belonging to him, a wallet of his and a motor bicycle was found close to where he was found lying. Officers who handled investigation activities however say that no smell of insecticide was observed as emanating from the police constable's mouth.

Mr. Fazal Abuthur, Puttalam Acting Magistrate visited the location of the incident day-before-yesterday evening and conducted an initial inquiry. Subsequently Puttalam Acting Magistrate instructed the Puttalam Judicial Medical officer that the postmortem be carried out on the dead body and to forward the report to courts. As such, police officers took steps to transport the body to the Puttalam Base Hospital. It has still not been revealed as to in which manner the police constable had died, police say. Karuwalagaswewa Police are conducting further investigations.

(Nattandiya -- Samanpriya Jayashantha, Karuwalagaswewa / S. Liyanaarachchi, Chilaw)