By

Chrishanthi Christopher

Police Constable (PC) Suminda Saman does not want to mention names of persons who are behind his resignation. However, he is under duress to withdraw his complaints to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the Criminal Investigation department (CID) against Deputy Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, Hemal Gunasekera. Saman said his life and that of his family are at risk of being persecuted. As such, he had sent his resignation by email and by registered post to the Inspector General of Police N.K. Illangakoon.

Arrogant politicians

PC Saman’s life is an example of how arrogant politicians treat the very public who vote for them. It is apparent that Gunasekera, from day one, has behaved in a petty fashion. He took Saman to task for daring to issue a charge sheet against him for speeding on the highway. The deputy minister’s complaint is that he was not recognized for his position as being a government minister.

Saman complained Gunaskera was travelling sans his ministerial escorts and the blaring siren, the haul mark of ministers and VIPs when travelling even on an ‘ordinary’ road. Also, the car had tinted windows and there was no way to know that a minister was travelling in the car, the constable said.
Saman, who has been penalized for carrying out his duties without fear or favour, is also facing a threat to his life. Last week he spoke to Ceylon Today, relating the drama that was to change his entire life and future.

Recollections

Recounting the incident, Saman said until that ugly incident, his life was smooth sailing with no hiccups.But on that fateful day, when he issued a speeding ticket to a ruling party deputy minister, his life was buffeted by more than rough weather. That confrontation turned his life upside down, costing him his job, car, dignity and he is now faced with the ever looming threat to his life.

Saman, a father of three from Dodangoda, was working as a constable attached to the Kottawa Police Post on the Southern Expressway at the time the incident, which was to change his life, took place. His job was to issue speeding tickets to those who violated the speed limit on the Expressway.

Drama

20 May 2014 was to be a watershed in Saman’s life when he walked into his office around 6 a.m. His shift was rostered from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Around 10.10 a.m. S.I Nishantha who was on duty at the Kurundugahahetekma Post, had advised through the walkie talkie that a vehicle travelling at high speed was exiting the highway at the Kottawa Gate and to issue a speeding ticket. The vehicle was said to be travelling at 141 km.p.h., in a zone where the speed limit was 100 km.p.h. The vehicle number, time and the speed it was travelling was passed on to the Kottawa Post by S.I. Nishantha.

Saman said that around 10.23 a.m. the said vehicle entered the exit gate of Kottawa and according to the directions received, the vehicle was stopped. The vehicle was a maroon BMW with tinted glass which effectively secluded those who were travelling in it. The driver of the vehicle paid the toll fee at the gate and when the car was about to move, issued with a speeding ticket.

Saman said that in keeping with the regulations, he had asked for the driver’s driving licence. To this, the driver had looked at Saman quizzically from head to toe and had angrily and loudly said the car belongs to the ‘Velanda Amathi’ (Trade Minister) and finished the sentence irritably saying ‘kerana magula kerala, a licence eka denna’ (do what you have to do and give me the licence).

Following this, Saman had consulted I.P. Galagedera, who was on duty at that time and told him that the driver had informed the vehicle belongs to a minister. In the meantime, traffic had built up with other vehicles waiting to exit at the gate. Galagedera had instructed him to quickly issue the speeding ticket and discharge the vehicle.

Saman said the driver had omitted to say that the minister was inside the vehicle. The vehicle had tinted shutters and the passengers in the vehicle were not visible. Further, there was neither escort nor sirens blaring to indicate that it was a minister who was travelling.

Above the law

Quickly a speeding ticket had been issued. Then the tinted glass at the passenger side had come down and Deputy Minister Hemal Gunasekera looked out and started shouting at the PC. He had shouted out instructions to his driver not to remove the vehicle from the spot and got down. Gunasekera continued shouting at Saman for issuing a ticket to a ‘government minister.’ “This went on for nearly half an hour. The minister called me names and said he would see that I am punished for being disrespectful,” the constable said. “I am a government minister and if you don’t know, ask your superiors,” the deputy minister had added.

Following this, and still standing at the spot where the incident took place, Gunasekera had tried to contact the DIG and the even the IGP over his mobile, but failed. By this time there had been a stream of vehicles collecting at the Kottawagate exit. When the minister was told about the block being created, he had said he did not care and that they could operate another gate and let the vehicles pass out from that exit.

MSD

This drama had gone on for around 45 minutes and absolute mayhem had prevailed at the exit when a white Prado (No. KQ 5408) “came from Colombo” and made a u-turn at the spot. From the vehicle three persons belonging to the ministerial Security Division, and Gunasekera’s personal security officers had alighted from the vehicle. They appeared to have been updated about the incident and as soon as they had arrived they had asked for Saman by name. When the constable was identified, he was asked to relate what happened at scene. Saman had related the incident to the security officers. But the officers were sympathetic with the minister’s driver, and had referred to the constable as a ‘pandithaya.’They had told Saman the minister was angry and urged him to say sorry to him. He was also asked to go down on his knees and ask for Minister Gunasekera’s pardon.

Apologize

To this, Saman had had not agreed and had said that he saw no reason to apologise as he had only executed his duty. Saman had indicated that he was even ready to lose his job, but said he would not ask for pardon on his knees for a wrong he has not committed. The drama which had gone on for over 40 minutes has been recorded in the CCTV camera at the post, and has been given as evidence to the CID, Saman said.

Kill

Following this, the officers had warned Saman he may face problems in the future because of his obstinacy. The minister then had again shouted at Saman saying he would ‘kill him’ and told O.I.C. Galagedera who was at the Kottawa Post to transfer Saman immediately, otherwise that he would take action.As a sequel to the incident, Saman was subjected to intense grilling by the police, and a five page complaint was prepared against him. Later, fearing that he would be seen by the passing deputy minister at a future date, he was removed and transferred to work inside an office.

Saman had been peacefully working in his new position when on 30 May, when he was coming to work in his Nano car, he was attacked by a gang allegedly sent by Gunasekera. Saman describing the incident said around 7.45 p.m. when he was driving to work, a black cab which was stationed at the ‘Malkadahandiya’ near a tyre shop close to his home, started following him. Saman had noticed the headlights of the cab were switched off and the doors slightly ajar with the passengers’ legs out, indicating a readiness to jump off the vehicle, anytime. The vehicle was then driven closer to that of Saman’s. He, by instinct knew that the men in the cab were following him. Saman immediately started accelerating his vehicle, and the black cab had also gathered speed. His instinct also told him to immediately contact someone and as he took his mobile phone and pressed the first number that came up had been his mother’s.

He had started saying some people were chasing him in a cab and to find help. “I did not know what I told over the phone,” Saman said. But later he found out that the call did not go through as he had not pressed the call button.

Death

Saman said for the first time he understood what it was like to be close to death. The vehicle chasing after him had tried to overtake him twice, but failed. However, at their third attempt, at the end of the road at Dodangoda Junction, when Saman had taken the right turn, he had been caught. The black cab had come to a halt in front of his vehicle. The men who alighted from the vehicle had made a beeline towards the Nano and tried to open the door. The door was locked and in the process they had broken the handle. They had then come around from the other side and tried to pull Saman out of the car. After a fierce struggle and several exchanges of punches Saman had been dragged out of the car.

There had been around six or seven men (Saman does not remember the exact number) who had started beating him. Saman who has a black belt in Karate had withstood the punches and managed to slip away. Then they had started chasing him and had also started to shoot at him.

Fire

“I started shouting ‘help, help’ and I turned back and saw a fire behind me,” Saman said.
(He was later to find out that it was his car that was torched by the gang). Some people had come out from their homes upon hearing the commotion, but when they had seen what was happening, they had immediately shut their doors in fright. “I asked for water but they closed their doors and went in,” said Saman.The beleaguered cop had then called the Kalutara Police operations room and told them what had happened. Following this, the police came into the scene. Around 8.36 p.m. he had called his mother and related the incident. He did not tell his wife as he did not want scare her, he said.

Ignored by his own Till 11 p.m. he was not taken to hospital and it was later when Saman had cried of a chest pain and demanded he be given treatment, the police had admitted him to the Kalutara Nagoda Hospital. There too Saman alleged unknown persons had walked in, pretending to be his family members and said they would like to transfer him to Colombo. However, the doctor in attendance is reported to have said there was no necessity to transfer him as he was stable.

Saman has not reported to work since. He is gripped with fear and is uncertain of his future after the incident. This father of three has decided to even give up his job in order to protect his family who he said is in danger.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today