Man mistakenly arrested over Kohuwala shooting granted police bail

 

Police have granted bail to a man who was arrested after being mistakenly identified as a suspect wanted in connection with a recent shooting incident in Kohuwala, police said.

The individual, a resident of Deraniyagala who operates a restaurant in the area, was taken into custody after police allegedly confused him with a suspect whose image had been circulated following the incident.

A shooting was reported in the Bodhiyawatta area of Kohuwala on the night of December 30, in which a 16-year-old girl was injured. In connection with the incident, police released a hand-drawn sketch of a suspect through the media, requesting public assistance to locate the individual.

The Borella Police arrested the man on January 2 and reportedly released him on the afternoon of January 3.

Meanwhile, a complaint was lodged by the individual, stating that he was assaulted by a group of police officers from the Borella Police.

According to the complainant, he travelled to Colombo on January 1 to purchase supplies for his business and stayed overnight at his wife’s residence along Baseline Mawatha. Police officers reportedly arrived at the house the following morning.

He alleged that he later went voluntarily to the Borella Police Station to provide a statement, where he was shown the suspect’s image and subsequently assaulted by police officers. He further claimed that he was detained at the station for nearly two days before being released on January 3.

Police said the man was released on police bail after it was established that he was not connected to the shooting.