February 15, Colombo (LNW): Police have uncovered a charred vehicle in the southern district of Galle which is believed to have been used in the fatal shooting of a lawyer and his wife earlier this week in Akuregoda, Thalangama.
Officers attached to the Nugegoda Divisional Crimes Investigation Bureau said the car was located along a narrow access road in the Kuttiyawatta area of Agaliya. By the time authorities reached the scene, the vehicle had already been set ablaze and was burning fiercely, suggesting an attempt to destroy crucial evidence.
Investigators had received a tip-off that the car connected to the killing of attorney-at-law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his spouse had been abandoned in the area. Acting swiftly on the information, police cordoned off the surroundings while firefighters battled the flames. Forensic teams later sifted through the wreckage in search of material that could assist the inquiry.
The double homicide, which occurred in broad daylight in a residential neighbourhood, has sent shockwaves through the legal community and heightened concerns over organised criminal activity. Authorities now suspect the attack may have been orchestrated by an alleged underworld figure operating from overseas, identified as Jayalath Silva alias ‘Karandeniya Sudda.’
Sources indicate that the slain lawyer had previously represented Silva in court. More recently, however, he is understood to have appeared on behalf of a rival criminal leader known as Loku Pati. Detectives are exploring the possibility that the killings were motivated by suspicions that sensitive information had been passed between opposing factions.
Senior officers have neither confirmed arrests nor ruled out further suspects, but they maintain that several leads are being actively pursued. Security has also been tightened in parts of Colombo and its suburbs as a precautionary measure.
The Nugegoda Divisional Crimes Investigation Bureau continues to lead the probe, with assistance from forensic specialists and intelligence units. Police have appealed to members of the public who may have witnessed suspicious movements in the Agaliya area to come forward with information, assuring that all tips will be treated in strict confidence.
