Army intelligence officer arrested over woman’s death addicted to ice One of the two army intelligence officers arrested in connection with the death of a woman at Halgahawatta, Baseline Mawatha in Borella is addicted to ‘ice’ drug, it was reported.

This has been confirmed following the investigations conducted by Judicial Medical Officer Rahul Haq.

Giving evidence over the death of 25-year-old Melanie Kanchana, one Romesh Madhusanka said the two officers grabbed him by the neck and handcuffed him on the night of the 13th.

“When they hit me on the head with a pistol, it got activated and shots were fired,” he said.

The two officers of the Army Intelligence Division had informed the Borella Police that they were conducting a search operation at Halgahawatta area in Baseline Mawatha in search of drugs.

The neighbors had flocked when the officers made an effort to arrest Romesh Madhusanka.

Ms.Sri Vikrama Paththinilage Sunethra, who was present at the time of the incident, said, two men with beards suddenly grabbed Romesh.

“We asked who they were and they said they were from the ‘Vilasitha’,” she said.

The Police Department’s Organised Crimes Division (OCD) was housed on the fourth floor of the former ‘Vilasitha Nivasa’ in Colombo 6. The Department was later moved to Mihindu Mawatha but the people still use the word ‘Vilasitha’ to refer to the OCD. Although the OCD has been disbanded, traffickers still fear the name “Vilasitha”.

Ms. Sunethra further said another person who was beaten up by the police died of a heart attack in the past.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our sister. Who will take care of her two children? We need justice,” she said.

Melanie has fallen to the ground after being shot.

After the incident, the intelligence officers had gone to the Borella Police seeking protection.

After arresting the two officers under the instructions of Borella Police OIC Chief Inspector Janaka Withanage, police teams were deployed to observe the scene of the shooting at Halgahawatte.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya conducted an on-site inspection last morning (14) and the Magistrate ordered the family members to appear in court number two on February 21 to testify.