Husband dies, wife injured in Habaraduwa shooting

A person who was travelling in a three-wheeler together   with his wife, subsequent to dropping off his children at school yesterday (24) morning had been shot dead by two persons who had come in pursuit at Heenatigala, Habaraduwa.

The victim has been identified as Lakshitha Ruwan Kumara (37), who had been taken into custody from time to time by the police for being involved in a number of crimes including murders. He was a father of three.

The three-wheeler had been driven by ther victim while. His wife had been in the seat behind. One gun shot aimed at this person had hit his wife on the neck. The police said she is receiving treatment at the Karapitiya Hospital. They are residents of Heenatigala, Talpe.

It is said that the deceased was shot thrice in the chest and twice in the face. According to the police, a nine mm type firearm had been used for the shooting.

The deceased had been the driver of a former politician of the Eastern Province who had been a minister as well. The person who was killed is a former member of the Army and the police said that he was connected to a contract killing carried out in 2021 at Habaraduwa. According to police, the vehicle in which the shooter had travelled had been driven by the deceased and he had been arrested in that regard and been remanded as well.

A top-ranking police officer said that the murder which took place in Habaraduwa in 2021 was the result of a conflict regarding a building, that had gone too far and information had been revealed that a drug dealer named Suresh had directed that murder.

That drug dealer has not yet been arrested and the police said that there is information that he has fled the country.This officer said that investigations are being carried out since there is a suspicion that this was in retaliation to the murder that took place in the year 2021 or whether it is the result of gang which had been together, breaking up.

The motorcycle on which the shooter had arrived had a false number plate. When the number was checked, the police said, it was discovered that it belonged to a resident of Badulla who was the owner of the motorcycle.

Police are in pursuit of the shooters based on security camera footage as well as scientific evidence. No proper reason for the murder has been revealed as yet.

Investigations are underway to arrest the suspects, by a team of police officers including Officer- In-Charge of the Habaraduwa Police Chief Inspector Ashoka Karunaratne, on the instructions of

DIG Roshan Wijesinghe in charge of the Galle District and SSP Sathis Gamage.