CID thrown open; top officers moved out

What is easily the Police Department's most coveted arm, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is undergoing a complete purge.

Officers at the higher echelons are all being moved out after a new decision that they should also serve in operational or war-torn areas. Until now, the CID has remained a closed unit and its senior officers were never transferred. This was on the basis that their appointees were handpicked personnel with good professional records and high integrity. However, the National Police Commission (NPC) has accepted a recommendation that senior officers in the CID too should serve terms outside the unit.

Asoka Wijetilleke, presently DIG (CID) is expected to be moved out to Police Headquarters to be in charge of a newly created international unit. Upali Gunasekera, a newly promoted DIG is tipped to succeed him. Mr. Gunasekera was posted to the Trincomalee division as acting DIG and is currently serving in that capacity.

Sisira Mendis, SSP who has served in the CID for more than 30 years and now its Director is to take over the Vavuniya Division.
He is tipped to be succeeded by an old CID hand, SSP Nimal Kulatunga, who is now attached to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canada. Three Assistant Superintendents of Police in the CID have already been transferred out. They are Mevan Silva (with 22 years service) to Talaimannar, Senaka Kumarasinghe to Vavuniya and N Wickremasinghe to Batticaloa.

The CID is the equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India.