This testimony is based on the victim’s wife Ranasinghe Pradeepa Priyangani (32) )

 Bolonnage Dinusha Udara Bolonna (27) the husband of Ranasinghe Pradeepa

Priyangani was the father of a toddler of 1 year and 3 months and was employed in screen printing work. Dinusha Udara had studied at the prestigious Buddhist school in Panadura – Sri Sumangala Boys School where he had excelled in his studies up to the Advanced Level examination. During his time off  he gave private tuition in the subjects of Science and Sinhala language.

 At the time of the incident Dinusha Udara and his family was residing at Beraketiya in Moragahahena.

 On 30 March 2008, between 6.00 – 6.30 p.m. Dinusha Udara was taken into custody by the Bandaragama police from the Bandaragama Veedagama area. He was taken into custody by the Bandaragama Officer in Charge (OIC) Gekiyanage, charged with harboring a fire arm.

 About 7 officers including Chandana Liyanage took  Dinusha Udara in a jeep to the Bandaragama police station. That day at about 7.00 -7.30 p.m. officer Chandana Liyanage telephoned Pradeepa Priyangani’s uncles house and asked her to come to the Police station. When Pradeepa Priyangani  reached the police station at about 8.00 p.m. she saw her husband sitting on the floor of the police cell with his hands cuffed behind his back and one of his legs cuffed to the door of the cell.

 Dinusha Udara told his wife to find out the house of Sampath from one Anusha whose house is near the Panadura new bridge, that Sampath has a weapon and to bring it and come. He further stated that he will be produced in court tomorrow morning.  

 Accordingly Pradeepa Priyangani and her toddler was taken in a police jeep to the Wadduwa Police station. She was accompanied by a Woman Police Officer (WPC), a police assistant, a officer bearing the number 84777 and the police driver. The jeep was parked at the Wadduwa police station for about one hour till a telephone call came to the police constable who was inside the jeep telling him to go and get the weapon.

 Thereafter they went to Anusha’s house. It was about 11.00 p.m. Anusha and his father then joined them to go to Sampaths house. Sampath was not at home. Sampaths mother then took them to another house in search of Sampath. The location of this house is not known. The road to it was dark. Sampath’s mother went there with his uncle. Pradeepa Priyangani stayed near the jeep with her toddler. When these people were delaying to return the officer No 8477 asked Pradeepa Priyangani to go and see what the delay was. However she was unable to proceed alone in the dark and went a little way and came back. After some time Sampath returned with his mother and uncle all of whom were then taken once again to Sampath’s house. Sampath then went inside the house and brought a white box of a considerable length and gave it to the police. Then the police asked Sampath also to join them and went back to Anusha’s house and near the temple they opened the box.

 Inside the box was a weapon wrapped with cloth. Pradeepa Priyanganis says she does not know what it was however the WPC had told that there was a T 56 and a Gal katas inside the box. Then the officer no 8477 talked to some one on the phone and said that there was a T 56 and a galkatas. The box was closed carefully and they all went back to the Bandaragama police station.

  At the Bandsaragama police station the officers took the box inside. It was about 3.00 a.m. Pradeepa Priyangani then requested that she see her husband. However she was told that it was not possible to see him at that time and to come tomorrow at 7.00 a.m. Thereafter Pradeepa Priyangani was dropped at her uncles house.

 The next day 31.03.2008 Pradeepa Priyangani went to the police station at 7.00 a.m. The Reserve officer told her to wait till the OIC came. Pradeepa Priyangani noticed that her husband was not in the police cell. She went to the canteen and waited till 9.00 a.m. While waiting she over heard some women talking that a certain person from the Veedagama area had been killed. Pradeepa Priyangani went up to them and asked them if they knew if it was a man or woman. The women told her they were unaware since no one was allowed to see the body.

 A little while later Pradeepa Priyangani’s uncle sent a three wheeler asking her to come back home. At home he told her that there is some information that the police have killed some one. A while later a neighbors brought the news that  Dinusha Udara had been killed by the police.

 That day at about 10.30 -11.00 a.m. Pradeepa Priyangani went back to the Bandaragama police station and requested that she lodge a complaint. This was refused. An officer told her that if her husband had done wrong there was no necessity to lodge a complaint. However Pradeepa Priyangani insisted several time and yet her complaint was not taken down.

 A Rupawahini  crew form the National TV channel had also come to the police station. They too were refused to see the body. By this time relatives of Dinusha Udara had come to the police station. They were told to go to the Bandaragama Hospital to identify the body. They were not allowed to see the body till about 2.30 -3.30 p.m. until the Magistrate came. Pradeepa Priyangani then identified her husband’s body in the Mortuary. His hands were hand cuffed in front. The Magistrate told her to come to the Horana Court on 09.04.2008.  She requested from the Magistrate that the death inquest be not held by the Bandaragama Police whom she claimed were responsible for his death.  

 The body was then taken to the Pandura Hospital . On the next day the death inquest was carried out and the body handed over to relatives. At the death inquest it was revealed that Dinusha Udara had sustained gun shot injury to his head and his mouth.

 Pradeepa Priyangani states that the OIC of the Wadduwa Police Nimal Karunaratna is responsible for shooting and killing of her husband. The said OIC Wadduwa states the he was requested to help in this case by the Bandaragama police.

 The case in relation to this -  case no 37933/08  was heard in the Horana Magistrates court. On 15.07.2008 a recommendation was made that since it was evident to court that the death was suspicious, all evidence in the case be referred to the Attorney General.

 On 06.11.2008 Pradeepa Priyangani wrote to the Attorney General requesting that a case be filed against the OIC Wadduwa Nimal Karunaratna charged with the murder of her husband

 Pradeepa Priyangani says that previous to this incident the Police had looked for her husband regarding incidents but had never taken him into custody. She says that her husband has no cases against him.

 Please join us in the request to the Honorable Attorney General that this case be duly filed and justice is done to the deceased and his family.

 Janasansaday

20.11.2008