The incident on the afternoon of 30 March 2011 left Ranga’s bodyguard, a police sergeant, dead, but the former politician escaped without a scratch.

Investigations are underway to determine as to whether the accident that had led to Pushpakumara’s (36759) death was intentional.

At the time, police records said the sergeant had driven the vehicle, but it was Ranga who had actually been behind the wheels, it has come to light.

Some time later, the widow lodged a complaint with the police headquarters, which also said a promise by Ranga to build a house for her and the children was yet to be met.

The DIG in charge of Vavuniya has supervised an investigation, in the course of which the then Settikulam OIC has said he had taken Ranga to Colombo under police security on an order by the then police chief Mahinda Balasuriya.

Several MSD men had been in the vehicle at the time, who now say that they had been under duress to blame the deceased for the accident.

Soon after the incident, workers of the nearby Settikulam hospital reached the scene, and one attendant has told police the deceased had been in the left front seat and it was him who broke open the door and took him out.

A sergeant of Settikulam police who reported the incident to the court is to make a statement that he had given false information due to pressure from his superiors.