A Police sergeant who was on night security at the Matara Additional District Judge’s official residence yesterday (28) committed suicide by shooting himself with his duty firearm, at around 5.30 am.
The sergeant was identified as Bandula Pushpakumara, a resident of Matara, who is a 55-year-old father of one. Police information revealed that his child is to sit for the GCE Advanced Level Examination this year.
Police information stated that the sergeant has been engaged in security duties at the judge’s official residence for a long time. As usual, this sergeant and a constable were employed at the judge’s official residence from 6.00 pm on August 27 to 6.00 am yesterday (28).
A senior Police officer stated that investigations show that the judge had prepared tea for these two officers at around 5.00 in the morning as usual and after drinking the tea, this sergeant swept the garden of the judge’s official residence and watered the trees as well.
At around 5.20 am, the constable who was on duty with this sergeant went to the Police station to write down notes to end his duty and at that time the sergeant took the duty firearm, the T56 weapon to his hand.
The constable found it unusual that the sergeant had done this as he had never before picked up the duty firearm kept on a desk and the constable inquired from the sergeant about it. The sergeant had said that he took it to his hand just in case a high official came unexpectedly in the morning.
The sergeant’s wife also told the Police that her husband had made a telephone call to her at around 5.29 in the morning and asked if their child was going to school. Investigations have revealed that this was the last call he made on his mobile phone and that the sergeant had told his wife to prepare breakfast as he would come home at 6.30 in the morning.
Police also said that his child has passed the GCE Ordinary Level Examination with nine As.
The sergeant has suffered from several illnesses and had recovered from all of them. Police information revealed that his wife had asked him to retire from the Police service and he was making necessary arrangements to do so.
Matara Police officers too were perplexed as to why the sergeant had chosen to end his life this way.
Even the judge told the investigating officers that the sergeant did not show any unusual change in his behaviour while on duty and was acting normal.
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