Men in police uniform rob Colombo jewellery shop of Rs.20m

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 July 2007, 00:22 GMT]
Four unidentified men, including two in Police uniform, got away with Rs.20m after shooting at, and injuring a shop assistant at a Tamil owned jewellery shop in Wellawatte, Colombo, at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, sources in Colombo said. The robbers entered the shop near closing time pretending they have come to search the business premises. Eye witnesses told TamilNet that the shop, named Prasanna, was also engaged in legal money-transfer business.

Wellawatta police was immediately alerted by pedestrians nearby who witnessed the robbery, but when the police visited the scene, they appeared to know the said robbers and had allegedly exchanged words with robbers in uniform.

The said robbers escaped in a white van through Fredrika Road, according to eye witnesses.

The injured shop assistant, Arumainayagam Sasindran, 31, who was injured in both legs, was admitted to Colombo South Hospital. Later he was transferred to the National Hospital, Colombo, hospital sources said.