The four suspects, including two Police Sergeants, who were arrested in connection with the killing of a pregnant deer within the Heenugala Reserve at Makulugaswewa, Galewela, have been remanded until August 01 by the Dambulla Magistrate’s Court.
Dambulla Acting Magistrate Dulanjali Sithumini issued this order after the suspects were produced before the court today (26).
However, the police informed the acting magistrate that steps had been taken to admit one of the suspects to the Dambulla Base Hospital due to his health condition.
The Dambulla Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) had also taken steps to present three firearms allegedly used to kill the pregnant doe to the court.
The two civilians have been charged with killing a deer and possession of firearms, while the two police officers have been charged with aiding and abetting the killing of the pregnant deer within a forest reserve.
Initially, two police sergeants and a civilian were arrested yesterday (July 25) in connection with the incident. Following the interrogation of the suspects arrested, another suspect was apprehended.
Police have also seized three unlicensed 12-bore firearms after the interrogation of the arrestees.
Interrogation of the suspects revealed that two individuals from the Wahakotte area had entered the reserve to hunt deer. It was further disclosed that one of the suspects is the brother of a serving police sergeant.
After the deer was killed, the suspects allegedly sought assistance from the police sergeant brother, as several local residents had witnessed the incident.
Investigations indicate that the police sergeant, accompanied by another sergeant, proceeded to the scene where the deer had been shot, resulting in a tense situation involving residents of the area.
Post-mortem examinations confirmed that the pregnant deer had been killed using a 12-bore firearm.
Meanwhile, police reported that the driver of the Makulugaswewa Police jeep, who claimed to have been attacked by local residents during a tense situation following the incident, has been admitted to Galewela Hospital for medical treatment.
