Probe launched into death of man in police shooting

COLOMBO (News1st): Police on Saturday launched a probe into the death of a man who died due to a shooting by police officers in Moratuwa, officials said. Amith Karunaratne, a father of four, was shot dead following a scuffle between a police officer while travelling with his son and brother in a three wheeler. It was unclear whether the police officers suspected him of trafficking narcotics. "They put their hands into my brother's pockets. My brother then said that we were not trafficking narcotics. It was then that they opened fire him," the victim's brother who witnessed the incident said. He claimed that the police officers were drunk at the time of the incident. However, police spokesman Jaliya Senaratne told reporters it cannot be confirmed as a test has not been carried out to determine whether they were drunk. He added that the defence secretary had instructed the Acting Police Chief and the Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon to probe whether the policemen had neglected their duties. "After a report is received, disciplinary action will be taken if they had displayed indisciplined conduct," the spokesman said. The Senior DIG of the Western Province  visited the victim's family and paid his condolences on behalf of the police. "If a mistake has been committed, we will not conceal this or try to save them," he said. Tennakoon added that drug racketeers may try to capitalize on the incident and urge villagers to attack the police station, and urged the victim's family to avoid such activities. "We will punish the wrongdoers and do the needful," the Senior DIG added. "What had taken place shouldn't have happened".