Ragama Medical Faculty clash: State Minister resigns following son’s arrest, BMW taken into custody

 

… three medical students granted bail

By Shamindra Ferdinando- 2022/02/4

Seven persons, including the son of State Minister Arundika Fernando have been remanded till Feb 7 pending investigations into Tuesday night’s attack on a group of 4th year students after having forcibly entered the Ragama Medical Faculty of the Kelaniya University.

Police headquarters identified the minister’s son as Aravinda Randila Jehan. That suspect had arrived at the Ragama police with a lawyer and was arrested and would be subjected to an identification parade along with other suspects.

The police said that a BMW that had been used by the attackers to arrive at the scene of the incident was taken into custody in the Kalubowila area.

Police headquarters spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa yesterday (3) told The Island that among those who had been remanded was a third year student who claimed to have been assaulted by 4th year students. The student was receiving treatment at the Negombo Hospital whereas there were three other medical students warded at the Ragama Hospital.

Hours after the police arrested Puttalam District lawmaker’s son, State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyrah Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing and Export Diversification quit his portfolio pending the finalisation of the investigation.

SSP Thalduwa said that the third year student had accompanied the group that entered the Ragama Medical Faculty premises. On his complaint that he was targeted by 4th year students, three suspects were taken into custody and produced before the Welisara magistrate. Each of them had been enlarged on cash bail of Rs 2,000 and personal bail of Rs 500,000.

Chairman of the Coconut Development Board Keerthi Weerasinghe said that the Toyota Corolla bearing the number KI 2376 that had been taken into custody along with its driver belonged to his institution. Weerasinghe said that the driver had been interdicted pending an internal investigation. Initially, there was speculation that the vehicle belonged to the Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Ministry as an identity card issued to a person identified as a member of the personal staff of MP Arundika Fernando was found. But later it was established that the identity card belonged to another member of the gang and not the driver of the car attached to the Coconut Development Board.

University sources said that an attempt was being made to portray the incident as one resulting from ragging. Those involved in the incident were third and fourth year students and there was absolutely no truth in claims ragging triggered violence, sources said. They said that contrary to allegations, the car belonging to the Coconut Development Board hadn’t been damaged though 4th year students immobilized the vehicle by deflating its tyres.