By S.K. Samaranayake

A police sergeant attached to the Bandarawela State Intelligence Service has been arrested by Welimada Police for allegedly visiting the home of a 24-year-old woman who had applied to join the Police Department as a Police Constable and sexually harassing her under the pretext of conducting a preliminary check for scars.

According to the complaint lodged by the woman, the intelligence sergeant had visited her residence claiming that her personal details were required by the Police Department. He subsequently inquired about marks and scars on her body and insisted on examining a scar in an intimate area. This allegedly led to inappropriate physical contact, prompting her to lodge a complaint with Welimada Police.

Police investigations revealed that the woman had formally applied to join the Police Department as a Police Constable. The suspect allegedly exploited this fact by falsely claiming that her body marks and scars had to be checked before her formal medical examination.

The Welimada Police are conducting further investigations following the arrest.

By S.K. Samaranayake

Thanks to the sharp wit and timely intervention of a police officer, a valuable travel bag accidentally left behind in Kandy by a Bangladeshi tourist was safely returned to its owner.

The tourist, Monowara Akthar, had visited Kandy during the Esala Perahera season and accidentally left her bag at a location in the city on the 31st while touring the area following the conclusion of the Perahera.

Police Sergeant G.T. Indrajith (47018), formerly attached to the Kandy Tourist Police and currently serving at the Fort Police Station, happened to be in Kandy at the time, preparing to return to Colombo for duty. While visiting a sightseeing spot in the city on a personal errand, he noticed a group of people arguing over an unattended bag.

Stepping in to investigate, Sergeant Indrajith discovered that the bag belonged to a foreign national. He took custody of it and, upon inspecting its contents, found foreign and local currency worth approximately Rs. 400,000, a foreign passport, several bank cards and numerous other valuable documents.

After identifying himself to the individuals who had claimed ownership of the bag, the officer immediately dialled a telephone number found inside it. The woman who answered confirmed that the bag belonged to her and said that she was travelling from Kandy to Colombo.

To verify her identity and ownership of the bag, the officer connected with her via video call. He subsequently travelled to Colombo and personally handed the bag back to her.

The Bangladeshi tourist, who was scheduled to board an early-morning flight to Dhaka on the 1st, had been placed in severe distress by the potential loss of her passport and valuables. She was relieved of her predicament thanks to the officer’s prompt and honourable action and subsequently took steps to submit a letter of appreciation to the Sri Lanka Police Department.

Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), will deliver a lecture on “BIMSTEC at 30: Three Decades of Partnership, Progress and Regional Cooperation” from 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm on 10 September at the Lighthouse Auditorium, Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS).