By Norman Palihawadana and Shamindra Ferdinando

Three members of a notorious gang of armed robbers, believed to be responsible for last month’s abortive bid to seize the payroll amounting to Rs 850,000 of Tuffline [Pvt] Limited, Meegoda, a subsidiary of the Maharaja Group, were shot dead by Athurugiriya police on Wednesday night.

DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne yesterday said that the gangsters were killed during a brief gun battle at Shanthalokagama, Athurugiriya. Police did not suffer casualties, he said adding that initial investigations have revealed that the gang had been involved in a series of armed robberies.

One of the dead was identified as Upul Dammika, a resident of Depanama Pannipitiya, the DIG said revealing that the gangster had been previously arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in armed robberies but bailed out.

An armed police party had been sent to Shanthalokagama on Wednesday when the local police station got a tip off of the presence of some unknown persons near an abandoned hut. The gang, after seeing the police party had opened fire, prompting the law enforcement officers to return fire, the DIG said adding that three gunmen succumbed to gunshot injuries they suffered during the exchange of fire with the police party. Their bodies were recovered along with two hand grenades, one 3.8 revolver, one T-56 assault rifle and a cellular phone

However, two members of the gang are believed to have escaped.

The gang is alleged to have tried to seize February payroll of Tuffline [Pvt] Limited on February 23. Masked men killed the driver of a Nissan Sunny Saloon in abortive bid to rob Tuffline’s payroll. The victim was identified as 49-year-old Jayalath H. Rohana, father of four boys.

Police said that a gangster drove a van across the High Level Road at Godagama around 11 am and blocked the car carrying the payroll. The ill-fated car was returning to the factory at Meegoda after a junior executive of the company collected the payroll from a bank. Rohana who refused to hand over the money had managed to drive the car amidst a hail of bullets. But one pierced his chest and killed him. However, the gang was unable to get at the money, police said. Tuffline offered Rs 500,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the gang.

Police said that police, judiciary and the prisons will have to join hands to fight the rising crime wave. "One of our main concerns is the swiftness with which criminals get bailed out," a senior police officer said adding that criminals continued to get bailed out despite Bail Act No 30 of 1997 which permits extended detention.

He pointed out that the gangster who died in a shootout with police on Wednesday was just one among dozens of criminals who had been bailed out.

On an application made by the AG, a High Court or a High Court established under Article 154P of the Constitution may, for good and sufficient reasons that shall be recorded , order that a person who has not been convicted and sentenced by a court, be detained in custody for a period in excess of 12 months, according to the Bail Act.

Police said that some when they were bailed out, engaged in robberies and more acts of violence to raise funds to meet legal fees.