By Shamindra Ferdinando

Police Headquarters has sought public assistance to apprehend the suspects who torched several vehicles, including two buses belonging to the Sri Lanka Army, at Mirihana, on 31 March.

Protesters and the Opposition have alleged that some pro-government elements turned an otherwise peaceful protest into a violent confrontation with the police and the Army by setting vehicles on fire.

Seeking public assistance in support of an investigation undertaken by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to apprehend the suspects, the police released video footage and the identikit of one of the suspects.

Police headquarters has requested that information regarding the suspects be passed on to the Superintendent in charge of

Digital Forensic Laboratory on 071-8591755, OIC in charge of the unit, on 071-8594919, and the CID on 011-2444265.

A senior police official, inquiring into the incidents, told The Island that they were hopeful of receiving public assistance, especially from those who had been peacefully protesting opposite the President’s private residence.

According to the official, unknown persons set fire to a bus, at around 11.20 pm, on 31 March. Subsequently, they set ablaze several other vehicles, belonging to the military and police. Responding to another query, the official said at the time unknown persons had set fire to vehicles, the police and the military hadn’t been present. Contrary to claims that the police, wearing helmets, had been present when the vehicles were set on fire, the arsonists were protesters, the police official said.

Pointing out that altogether 53 persons, who had been taken into custody, and produced in court, had been granted bail, in spite of some charges, under the Public Property Act, in respect of incidents at Mirihana, the top investigator said their priority was to identify the arsonists.

Civil society grouping, called Sinhala Sanvidana Ekamuthuwa (SSE), in a statement issued immediately after the Mirihana mayhem, questioned the possibility of some political elements setting vehicles ablaze. The group said that at the onset of the protest, the participants had been peaceful, though, subsequently, a group of persons triggered clashes resulting in the police launching a tear gas attack, coupled with water cannon and baton charge. The SSE asked whether the infiltrators were government or the Opposition activists bent on triggering chaos.

Senior DIG Ajith Rohana is on record as having said that the destruction of two buses and other vehicles caused losses amounting to Rs. 39 mn.

Those who have been granted bail were likely to face scrutiny as some of the arsonists could be among them, the police said. Law enforcement authorities said that possibility couldn’t be discontinued. Acknowledging the right to engage in protests, the police said that interested parties used social media to exploit the situation. Sources said that a 36-year-old person had been arrested at Thalawa, in the Nagoda police area, after the suspect, in a social media post, urged the public to kill police and military personnel. The police described the suspect as a heroin addict who had received treatment at Karapitiya and Mulleriyawa hospital for mental disorders.

The government lifted restrictions imposed on social media platforms less than 24 hours after directing the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to block them, in the wake of Mirihana violence. The Human Rights Commission condemned the restrictions imposed on social media.