A group of Army officers including a Major General were alleged that they have assaulted Wildlife offices attached to Minneriya National Park who was on the vigilance of an attempt to kidnap an elephant calf from the park last night. According to the sources, the park warden has lodged a complaint at Habarana Police regarding the incident.
The incident is reported as follows.
The Wildlife Department has received information that certain attempts are in action for kidnap an elephant calf from the Minneriya National Park and that a group including a well known Sri Lankan elephant smuggler also had been staying in a hotel around Habarana for several days.
Accordingly, wildlife officials have strengthened their vigilance to avert if such an incident and they had set up checkpoints covering the park throughout two days.
While on duty, two cabs pulled out along a by-road close to the park’s western border around 10 PK last night.
Wildlife officials were called to stop it, but the two vehicles have ignored the stopping signs and fled away. In front of it, another checkpoint set up by wildlife officers drove the two vehicles in disregard of orders.
Then wildlife officers with two vehicles have chased after these cabs and while chasing they had realized the fleeing cabs belong to the Amy.
As soon as the wildlife officers came to know that they were two army vehicles, they informed the Galkulama Army Police Post Office, explained everything and requested them to stop the two vehicles which were disobeying their orders. However, Army personnel said that the vehicles could not be stopped and that the vehicle was carrying a Major General of the Army.
But wildlife officials chased the two vehicles. Vehicles entered an Army camp in Anuradhapura.
Wildlife officials abandoned the operation and returned back. Several vehicles from the army camp were chasing after the two returning wildlife vehicles. Unaware of this, the two wildlife vehicles were stopped by a group of troops near Palugaswewa in Habarana.
At the same time, wildlife officers surrounded a group of military vehicles that followed. Meanwhile, one of the men came forward and struck a wildlife officer through the ear with a sharp blow and began the conversation with ugliness.
“I am Maj. Gen. Mohan Ratnayake Anuradhapura Operations Officer. Can’t stop us. ”
There was also a star-studded bureaucracy around the Major General who attacked physically to wildlife officer and with dirty words. The mobile phones of their other wildlife officers were taken to their custody.
Meanwhile, the OIC of the Habarana Police also arrived at the scene after being informed about the incident.
He had told the Army officers including the Major General that it was their duty not to behave in this manner and to return the mobile phones.
The Major General, who had threatened to reprimand again, has left with the Army team.
The caretaker of the Minneriya National Park has lodged a complaint with the Habarana Police regarding the incident.
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