Sri Lanka Police are seeking public assistance to arrest a suspect wanted in connection with the murder of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Lasantha Wickramasekera.
An investigation was launched into the fatal shooting of Wickramasekera by an unidentified gunman on October 22, inside his office at the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha premises.
The investigation is being carried out by several police teams under the direct supervision of the Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), and the Senior DIGs in charge of the Southern Province.
Following a planned operation by the FCID, police received information that several suspects connected to the murder were hiding in the 50-House Scheme area within the Kekirawa Police Division in the Anuradhapura District.
Accordingly, officers of the FCID, with the assistance of the Police Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Army, conducted a raid early this morning (26) on a plot of land containing an abandoned house used as a threshing floor.
During the operation, police arrested a male and a female suspect believed to have been involved in the crime.
According to police, several other individuals present at the location engaged in a scuffle with officers during the arrest, resulting in one police officer sustaining injuries and being admitted to hospital for treatment.
Police also recovered one of the motorcycles used in the murder, Rs. 1.2 million in cash, quantities of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (“Ice”), and equipment used for drug consumption.
In addition, another suspect — a resident of the area who is believed to have aided the group — was also taken into custody.
Police are now seeking public assistance to locate a suspect identified as Hakmana Paranaliyanage Nuwan Tharaka, a resident of Agulugama, Bendipita, Konthapana, who fled the scene during the confrontation with police.
The suspect is described as approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, with tattoos on his upper right arm reading “ANURADA” in English, and another on his left arm reading “Hithumathe Jeeveethe” in Sinhala letters.
Police have released photographs of the suspect and request that anyone with information contact the following numbers:
Inspector General of Police (WhatsApp): 071 859 8888
Financial Crimes Investigation Division: 011 233 7162 / 071 859 2087
The FCID, CID, Southern Provincial Criminal Investigation Bureau, Matara and Anuradhapura Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureaus, together with STF and Army officers, are jointly conducting investigations to apprehend the remaining suspects.
