The Sri Lanka Police have issued a clarification regarding a viral social media video showing a young child walking near a burning vehicle, which has sparked widespread public attention.
Police said audio clips circulating alongside the video falsely alleged that the eight-year-old child had set fire to the vehicle. However, investigations have so far uncovered neither eyewitness testimony nor scientific evidence linking the child to the incident.
According to police, the incident occurred within the premises of a school in the Kurunegala Police Division.
A luxury vehicle valued at approximately Rs. 14 million, which had been parked on the school premises, was completely destroyed in a fire on July 3.
A complaint had been lodged with the Kurunegala Police alleging that an eight-year-old child was responsible for setting the vehicle ablaze.
Following the complaint, Kurunegala Police launched a comprehensive investigation and identified the child seen walking near the vehicle in the video as an eight-year-old student of the same school.
However, police stressed that there is still no evidence to confirm that the child started the fire.
Police have already reported the facts of the case to court, while investigations remain ongoing.
To determine the actual scientific cause of the fire, police have also sought expert evidence and forensic examination reports from the Government Analyst’s Department.
The Police Media Division urged the public not to be misled by unverified and false claims circulating on social media before the official investigation is concluded.
