An Inspector of Police who was charged before the Colombo Traffic Court for damaging the headlight of a vehicle driven by the Ex Secretary of the Finance Ministry was acquitted by the Colombo Traffic Court Magistrate I. Rizwan recently.
Inspector of Police Ranhandige Duminda Silva of Himalaya Mawatha Battaramulla was accused of failing to prevent an accident on 24th January 2020 in the Cinnamon Gardens Police area at Jawatta Colombo 7.
The Cinnamon Gardens Police had charged the accused on six charges for failing to prevent an accident and causing damages to the driver’s side head lamp of the complainants Jeep by crashing the vehicle driven by him into the jeep of the complainant, an Ex Finance Ministry Coordinating Secretary R.A. Charitha Sri Wijesinghe.
The complainant, the Traffic OIC of the Cinnamon Gardens Police and two other eye witnesses giving evidence asserted that the accident took place on the roundabout behind Police Park Avenue at Jawatta Road Colombo 7.
The witnesses said that there are two bends at Jawatta Road and there is a roundabout ahead of those two bends and the accident took place at one of the roundabouts where a huge Mara Tree. By the side of the road.
The witnesses said that the complainant had driven his jeep on the correct lane on his side and the accused jeep that came from the opposite direction collided with the complainants Jeep.
However, on cross examination by Senior Counsel Ian Fernando, the OIC of Cinnamon Gardens Police admitted that he had failed to follow the proper procedure that should be followed during an investigation into an accident and also established that there were triangular pillars erected on the scene of accident showing arrow directions to various roads.
Hence Counsel Ian Fernando contended that those triangular pillars are not roundabouts; they are only showing arrow directions to various roads.
Magistrate I. N. Rizwan, observing that the prosecution had not proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, acquitted the accused from all charges.
