Police reveal major breakthrough in Akuregoda double murder investigation

Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in charge of the Western Province, Sajeewa Medawatte, says that several new information have been uncovered in connection with the recent shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife at a supermarket parking lot in Akuregoda.

Speaking at a special media briefing held at the Police Media Division today (25), he said the crime had been carried out in a highly organized manner by a criminal gang. 

He noted that at the initial stage of the investigation, the police only had minimum information, with the criminals involved having used various methods to commit the crime.

The Senior DIG revealed that investigators initially had only the information that the perpetrators had arrived in a car and carried out the shooting. However, through systematic investigations, the police were able to gradually develop that limited information into valuable leads. 

He stated that the crime has now been solved to a considerable extent.

Providing further details, SDIG Sajeewa Medawatte said that a total of four vehicles had been used in committing the crime and that all four had been taken into police custody. One of the vehicles had been set on fire, and all suspects except the driver of that vehicle had been arrested, he said.

He further stated that one of the shooters was arrested yesterday (25) in Monaragala, bringing the total number of arrested shooters to two. 

Public assistance had been sought to locate one of the suspects, and extensive media coverage contributed to his arrest based on information received from the public.

Two other individuals were arrested along with the shooter in Monaragala and they were brought to Colombo today for further investigations, he added.

The Senior DIG also confirmed that the two firearms used in the shooting have been identified, along with the main suspect connected to the crime.