Five residents of Kandasurindugama in Katana have been arrested following the circulation of a social media video showing them verbally abusing Anura Kumara Dissanayake near the entrance to the Mattala Expressway. The arrests were made by local police after the footage, recorded on a mobile phone, spread widely online and drew national attention.
The incident occurred when a private bus returning from a pilgrimage to Kataragama was denied entry to the expressway during a vehicle inspection operation because it lacked seat belts. The refusal led to a heated argument between passengers and officers on duty. During the confrontation, several individuals allegedly addressed the President by name and used abusive language, actions that were later shared publicly via Facebook along with the video.
Authorities confirmed that five individuals suspected of filming and posting the material were taken into custody by Katana Police. The legal response was based on allegations that the President, who serves as the country’s Executive Head of State, was subjected to public verbal abuse and indecent behavior.
In a parallel administrative move, the Officer-in-Charge and two other officers who were on duty at the expressway entrance during the incident have been transferred to Police Headquarters with immediate effect. Two additional officers have been reassigned to stations in Kottawa and Kadawatha. The transfers were ordered amid scrutiny over the handling of the situation and the absence of immediate legal action at the scene.
Officials emphasized that the confrontation took place during a phase of an islandwide vehicle inspection program launched under the direction of the Commissioner General of Motor Transport. The operation began at the Hambantota–Mattala Southern Expressway entrance in Hambantota and targeted buses, lorries, and other heavy vehicles for safety compliance. Authorities reported that 18 vehicles were barred from entering the expressway during the inspections.
Chief Motor Vehicle Inspector K.M.P. Wickramasinghe stated that defective vehicles are a major cause of expressway accidents and stressed the importance of functional seat belts, proper tire inflation, and thorough mechanical checks before traveling at high speeds. He urged drivers and transport operators to treat safety regulations seriously to prevent further incidents.
