Police in Eppawala have arrested a Grade 12 student after he attacked five classmates with a sharp weapon inside a leading school in the town today (13).

According to the Police Media Division, the injured students, all Advanced Level technology stream pupils, were admitted to the Eppawala District Hospital with minor injuries. 

The Police stated that the assailant is a Grade 12 science stream student at the same school.

Investigations revealed that a previous dispute between the attacker and one of the injured students escalated into retaliation this morning, leading to the knife assault.

Reports indicate that after striking one student, four others who tried to intervene were also injured. 

The suspect was taken into custody along with the weapon. The Eppawala Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. (Newswire)

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Residents in Sandarasgama, Eppawala, captured a crocodile that had approached a house and handed it over to wildlife officials today (24).

A passerby had reported a roughly 10-foot crocodile near the Thalawa–Eppawala main road last night, close to the Sandarasgama junction. Nearby residents caught the animal and tied it to a coconut tree.

Wildlife officers who were informed of the incident had taken the crocodile to Wilpattu Sanctuary around 10 a.m.

Villagers believe the crocodile came from the Eliyadivulwewa tank, about 200 meters away from where it was captured. A large crowd had gathered in the area to see the animal. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Professional Principals’ Association has issued a statement today (14) clarifying facts regarding a principal of a primary school in the Eppawala area of Anuradhapura who was arrested with 1.185 kilos of heroin recently. 

The statement notes that although the arrested individual was identified as a “principal,” he is not a grade-holding principal in the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service.

According to the Professional Principals’ Association, it has now been confirmed that the individual is an officer of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service, and that he was serving in an acting capacity.

The statement further clarifies that the title “principal” should only refer to grade-holding officers of the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service.

The association adds that using the title “principal” for someone who is not a grade-holding officer is unfair to the Principals’ Service.

Moreover, the statement emphasizes that any future references to the individual should identify him as an “officer of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service.” 

The man is the husband of former National Peoples’ Power (NPP) Urban Councillor, Disna Neranjala, who is a relative of Kosgoda Suji, a known large-scale drug trafficker and criminal. (Newswire)

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A 19-year-old youth who had made a post on Facebook allegedly threatening President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been remanded. 

The suspect allegedly uploaded a Facebook post regarding the possibility of finding a sniper ahead of the President’s scheduled visit to the Eppawala area on September 07.

According to reports, the suspect was arrested by officials of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

The CID informed the court that investigations were underway to ascertain if there was any connection between this incident and the incident where an Army soldier residing in Eppawala fled with a T-56 weapon from the Kilinochchi Army Camp.

Taking into consideration the facts, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court remanded the suspect until September 08. 

The suspect is a 19-year-old resident of Mediyawa in Eppawala and employed as a bakery goods seller via three-wheeler, commonly known as ‘Choon paan’. (NewsWire)

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