'Loku Patty' who rode cycle for Piliyandala shooting ... arrested! Reveals how he received instructions from Madush in Dubai

'Loku Patty' who rode cycle for Piliyandala shooting ... arrested! Reveals how he received instructions from Madush in Dubai

On investigations conducted over the underground gang who fled the scene after shooting the anti-narcotics police team at Piliyandala recently with 2 persons embracing death in the process managed to arrest the 8th suspect day-before-yesterday.

It was Sujeewa Kumar de Silva (27) alias 'Ahungalle Loku Patty' the underground gang member who was apprehended while hiding in a highly dense forest in Medirigiriya, Polonnaruwa. It is presumed

that he was the person who had ridden the motor cycle from which gun shots were fired on that day. According to his confession all information related to the shooting incident has been exposed.

Loku Patty has said that it was Asitha Noel Kumara (Army Asitha) who was responsible for the shooting from the cycle and that the assailant had fled to India from a boat in Kalpitiya in the company of another main suspect by the name of Mohommed Nawaz. Mohommed Nawaz is the culprit who misled the police by providing false information by phone to the effect that he is able to trap a group involved in selling narcotics, thus luring the police to come to the spot which later became a scene of tragedy. Loku Patty further explained that instructions were issued to all three of them to carry out this attack by underground leader Kamburupitiye Madush who is presently hiding in Dubai.

As a result of the said attack a police constable and one 12 year old girl died while Mr. Rangajeewa, a chief police officer faced serious injury. Ahungalle Patty is a resident of Aluthgama Dharga Town and his brother is a henchman of underground leader Madush and had been arrested for homicide cases. Loku Patty's task had been to distribute drugs sent by Madush from Dubai among the young customers in Baddegama and surrounding area. Patty has also mentioned that apart from that duty he was from time to time engaged in underground activities. Loku Patty who is a bachelor aged 27 years had served for about 2 years with the Army 7th infantry platoon after which he has left the Army last year. Subsequently he had got involved in underground activities and heroin dealings after his brother introduced him to Madush, he had admitted.

Loku Patty who says that he had borrowed a sum of Rs. two and a half lakhs from Madush for a personal matter of his, in order to settle that money he had got involved in the Piliyandala attack. What he has told during police interrogation was that till he embarked on the Piliyandala attack he had not been aware that the attack was targetted on the police. This is his confession:

"That day Madush spoke at length from Dubai. He told that a person would bring a cycle to me and to go there. So I went there and as told a certain person came bringing the cycle. At the same time Army Asith got on to the bike, armed. He said that I would be informed where to go. Speaking after a short time he said that we have to proceed to Piliyandala. I was told that Rangajeewa's Alto is parked near People's Bank and to go there. As told, I went there. It was Rangajeewa who was the target and it was Army Asitha who fired at him. After that we beat a retreat".

After the attack Loku Patty initially went to hide in Ahungalla and after that had switched locations from there to Ingiriya and finally to Medirigiriya area in Polonnaruwa. On information received that Ahungalle Patty was hiding in an obscure house situated in the corner of a dense forest Special Investigator of Mirihana, Jayantha Perera together with his police team surrounded the said house in a most subtle manner and thus took Loku Patty into custody day-before-yesterday. This massive operations was launched under the supervision of IGP Mr. Pujith Jayasundera and DIG Nandana Munasingha's direct involvement.

When the police team rushed into the house adorned in civil clothes, underground chief Loku Patty was taken by utmost surprise. Loku Patty who was handcuffed was brought that same night to Colombo. At the moment of his arrest he had also been in possession of 10 grams of heroin.

The police have already been victorious in jumping over one hurdle as such. Their next mammoth challenge is to arrest Makandure Madush the underground criminal and murderer who has become the menace to the whole country. Also to apprehend him and his apprentices who are in hiding overseas into the hands of the law.