16 lakhs despoiled in broad daylight yesterday at Attidiya Commercial Bank -- Security who clasped robber ... killed!

16 lakhs despoiled in broad daylight yesterday at Attidiya Commercial Bank -- Security who clasped robber ... killed!

2 robbers adorned with full-face helmets who had barged into a Commercial Bank branch in Attidiya area, Ratmalana last afternoon (10) had shot at the bank security guards and having thus killed 1 seurity guard had fleeced Rs. 16 lakhs in the possession of a customer and fled.

At the time the robbers had arrived at the bank, there had been about 10 customers at the bank.

The robbers had grabbed 16 lakhs of the 18 lakhs which one customer had brought to deposit at the bank while the other two lakhs was found fallen on the ground. When the robbers had barged into the bank the said deceased security guard had clasped one of the robbers and at that moment one robber had shot at the head of the security guard. There had been 3 other bank security guards with the deceased. Though one of those officers has had a repeater type weapon with him, he had not fired at the robbers. The robbers had fired at the officer in possession of the weapon and the police managed to find the weapon which had been carried out and thrown outside.

It is one Kamal Gunawardene (56)  a resident of Bandaragama who faced gunshots in this manner and had died as a result. Another security guard has been admitted to the intensive care unit of Kalubowila Hospital with serious injuries. Information has been received that  these robbers about half an hour prior to robbing the bank concerned had gone on the motor cycle and had tried to enter 2 leasing establishments in Dehiwala and since security officers of both places had obructed them, they had left those places and subsequently entered this bank. A number of instances where the suspects have rushed into the bank and how they arrive on the motor bikes are to be seen on CCTV cameras and police have launched an investigation on the incident.