Dan Priyasad murder: Two suspects identified by witnesses

Two suspects arrested and remanded in connection with the murder of political activist Dan Priyasad have been identified by witnesses during an identification parade held at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (May 9).

The identification parade was conducted on the orders of Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala. During proceedings, the court was informed that three witnesses had positively identified the two suspects.

However, the legal counsel representing the suspects contested the identification, arguing that the investigation was being misdirected. The attorney claimed that the suspects in custody had no involvement in the incident and that the actual perpetrators remained at large.

The lawyer further objected to the inclusion of two witnesses in the identification parade, stating they were relatives of one of the suspects. He argued that allowing individuals familiar with the suspect to participate in the lineup undermined the credibility of the process.

In response, an officer from the Western Province South Special Investigation Unit informed the court that the arrests were made based on statements from multiple witnesses and CCTV footage that emerged during the investigation. The officer also confirmed that further inquiries into the murder are ongoing.

Following submissions, the court ordered that both suspects be remanded until May 23.