A postmortem examination has revealed that the death of the 42-year-old suspect while in police custody was due to internal bleeding, Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said.

The postmortem was conducted by specialist Judicial Medical Officer Ajith Tennakoon, on the orders of the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.

Meanwhile, Thalduwa assured that an internal investigation is also currently underway into whether excessive force was used by the relevant officers present at the scene, or if any of them had acted beyond their capacity.

The deceased, identified as A. G. Samantha Preethi Kumara, a father of two from Hikkaduwa, had sustained nearly 30 internal injuries, sources revealed.

Kumara was arrested by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) on 10 January near the National Vocational Training Institute in Narahenpita, while in possession of 15 grams of heroin.

He had reportedly acted impulsively while being  interrogated, and had injured  a police constable accompanying him with a broken glass bottle during the altercation, Police stated.

Both the suspect and the injured officer were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, where the arrestee was later pronounced dead. 

The deceased was also reportedly a close associate of underworld figure ‘Podi Lassi’, according to police. 

Meanwhile, the mother of the deceased claimed that her son did not abuse narcotics of any kind, adding that she suspected foul-play by the Police.