Tusks detached by cutting them off with hacksaw -- Killers of Galgamuwe Dala Poottuwa in custody!

Tusks detached by cutting them off with hacksaw -- Killers of Galgamuwe Dala Poottuwa in custody!

Is it due to natural causes that Galgamuwe Dala Poottuwa who created such a sensation in the country had finally died? Or else was killed? This problem was in suspense till day before yesterday; but it was revealed at the post mortem conducted yesterday (30) that the reason for this tusker's death was caused by gun shot injuries.

On such search operations conducted by police for the suspects resulted in 5 suspects being taken into custody. It was also revealed that the tusker with a height of 10 or 11 feet and aged about 50 years

had been killed approximately 3 weeks before this. Wild Life officers who took the two tusks into custody at Moragollagama, Nikawewa area had suspected that the tusks belonged to Galgamuwa Dala Poottuwa. They then launched search operations looking for the dead tusker, from last 26th.

Wild Life officer Mr. D. Ramasingha was able to prove at Mahawa Courts last 28th that he could without suspicion identify that the two tusks taken into custody are that of Dala Poottuwa himself. Accordingly, a team of officers attached to police stations of Wold Life division of Mahawa engaged in a wide-scale search in Galkiriyagama, Galgamuwa, Meegalewa and Herathgama that very same day in the afternoon. Subsequently, at about half past one last 29th the dead body of Dalgamuwa Dala Poottuwa was recovered inside a shrubby forest. It was announced after the autopsy that the tusker had been shot dead from a shotgun and a stock of ammunition was recovered from the tusker's head and abdomen region.

After the tusker had died, it was learned that the two tusks were severed by a hacksaw used to cut iron and some parts of of the saw were found near the dead body. The police then commenced operations on those who were responsible for the killing of the tusker and 5 individuals were thus taken into custody.These suspects were apprehended on a survey conducted by a team of officers of Ambanpola Police Station last night. The police have recovered several hacksaws used to cut the tusks in possession of the suspects and a cap-gun.

The suspects were aged 20, 38, 26 and 43 years and were from Siyambalawa and Moragollagama itself, it was reported. Police said that the suspects were expected to be produced before Mahara Magistrate Courts. The tusker's dead body was buried last evening (30) after bestowing merit and paanshakulaya.