Borella Hit and Run: 178 to provide evidence in courts

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The final rites of Borella Police Traffic OIC, IP Ananda Sarathchandra was carried out at Borella this evening (March 11).  IP Ananda Sarathchandra was critically injured following an SUV hit-and-run incident in Bambalapitiya on the 24th of last month. He succumbed to his injuries yesterday (March 10) while still receiving treatment at the ICU of the National Hospital for over two weeks. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also attended the funeral to pay their final respects. Following religious observances, the vehicle parade carrying the remains of IP Ananda Sarathchandra reached the Borella Public Cemetery amidst full Police honours. Many politicians including the Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa were present at the Borella Public Cemetery to pay their final respects. Meanwhile the driver of the SUV involved in the incident that claimed the life of the Traffic OIC has been further remanded till the 18th of March by the Colombo Additional Magistrate.  The Additional Magistrate turned down the request made by the defence, to cancel the identification parade as the suspect had accepted that he was behind the wheel at the time of the accident. The suspect was ordered to be produced at an identification parade on March 18th. The SUV which disregarded traffic signal lights had crashed on to the motorbike of the Borella Police Traffic OIC IP Ananda Sarathchandra in Bambalapitiya and had immediately fled the incident. DIG of the police traffic division attorney at law Ajith Rohana said that among several factions who had tried to create fake news through social media including Facebook with the intention of changing the truth have been identified. He further said that the numbers that had remained previously at 15 yesterday had risen to 178 individuals by today. DIG Ajith Rohana said that the email addresses and phone numbers of these individuals have been recorded and that they will be produced before courts to present any evidence.