The Police have launched investigations into the murder of Lalith Wasantha Mendis, the father-in-law of State Minister D.V. Chanaka.
According to Lankadeepa, the Police are conducting investigations to ascertain if the murder is linked to the several shootings reported in the Southern Province in the recent past.
Lalith Wasantha Mendis, the Vice President of the Galle Cricket Club and the owner of a textile store in Galle, was shot by two armed men on a motorcycle, on Dickson Road, in Galle on Saturday night (Sep 23).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was shot while returning home after closing up his textile shop, while at least 15 bullets of a T-56 weapon had been used in the shooting.
The victim had succumbed to injuries on the driving seat of his vehicle, while the suspects are reported to have fled the area following the shooting.
According to Lankadeepa, the Police suspect the murder may be linked to the long-standing dispute between two underworld gang leaders identified as ‘Rathgama Vidura’ and ‘Kosgoda Suji’, who are reportedly operating from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Police stated that several shootings that have been reported in the Southern Province in the recent past are linked to the conflict between the two underworld gangs.
Incidents such as the shooting in May targeting the Deputy Principal of Dharmashoka Vidyalaya in Ambalantota who is a relative of ‘Kosgoda Suji’, the murder of a woman near Seeni Devalaya in August by a former member of the Rathgama Pradeshiya Sabha, the murder of Kosgoda Suji’s uncle outside a residence in Kosgoda in June, and the body that was found in the lagoon behind the Rathgama Crematorium with the hands and feet tied are all related to the conflict between the two underworld gangs, the Police revealed.
The Police have obtained CCTV footage in the vicinity of the shooting through which they expect to identify the suspects involved in the murder of Lalith Wasantha Mendis. (NewsWire)