A police chief arrested for a 2 lakh ransom incident

A Chief Police Inspector attached to the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Deputy Inspector General's Office has been arrested by Kuruwita Police on charges of extorting Rs. 246,000. The suspect officer, who was arrested on the 1st of last month, has now been handed over to the Ratnapura Special Investigation Police Unit for further investigations.

The incident originated from a message posted by a young man residing in Udakada, Ediriyanwela, Kuruwita, in a WhatsApp social media group, offering a 1000 CC engine capacity motorcycle for sale. After observing the message, the suspect police inspector came to the young man's house and stated that using such motorcycles is illegal and that he was the one conducting investigations into it. He also intimidated the young man's father, saying that if the incident escalated legally, it could even hinder his sons from going abroad.

To escape the situation, the suspect initially demanded an extortion sum of ten lakhs (Rs. 1,000,000), but after the father expressed his difficulty, it was agreed to reduce it to five lakhs (Rs. 500,000) and finally to three lakhs (Rs. 300,000). Subsequently, the suspect police officer arrived in a car with another person and collected the money on the Kuruwita - Deraniyagala road. The complainant handed over the money, believing it to be Rs. 250,000, but it was revealed that the suspect even inquired about the missing Rs. 4,000 due to a few missing five hundred rupee notes.

Even after receiving the money, the suspect did not end the problem and informed the complainant by phone to bring the motorcycle near the Kaduwela Police Station. Realizing that the threats continued despite paying the extortion money, the young man's father informed another police officer he knew, after which the complaint was lodged.