Police uncover chilling details in the assassination of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Lasantha Wickramasinghe as two suspects are arrested, but the prime accused escapes after a violent clash with officers.
The murder of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Lasantha Wickramasinghe on October 22, 2025, has taken a dramatic turn with the arrest of two suspects, including a woman, by the Criminal Investigation Department in Kekirawa. The operation, conducted under the direct supervision of the Inspector General of Police and senior DIGs of the CID, FCID, and the Southern Province, followed intense investigations into the high-profile assassination.
Wickramasinghe was gunned down by an unidentified assailant in a brazen daylight attack that shocked the Southern Province and sparked outrage across the nation. Since then, multiple police units have been deployed to track down those responsible, leading to a carefully planned raid in the Kekirawa Police Division. Acting on intelligence that suspects were hiding in a cluster of 50 houses, the Financial Crimes Investigation Division, assisted by STF and Army personnel, stormed an abandoned house with an adjoining threshing floor in the early hours of October 26.
During the raid, officers apprehended a male and female suspect. However, others who were present engaged in a violent struggle with police, injuring one officer who required medical treatment. In the chaos, one of the key suspects managed to flee, highlighting the dangerous and volatile nature of the investigation.
From the site, police seized significant evidence, including a motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime, over Rs. 1.2 million in cash, heroin, ice drugs, and paraphernalia associated with narcotics. A third individual who facilitated the suspects’ activities was also arrested, deepening suspicions that this murder is connected to a wider criminal network.
Authorities are now hunting for a fugitive identified as Hakmana Parana Liyanage Nuwan Tharaka, a resident of Angulugama, Konthapena. The suspect, described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, carries distinctive tattoos: the name “ANURADA” inked on his upper right arm and “Hithumathe Jeeveeth” on his left. Police have released his photographs and appealed to the public for assistance. Citizens with any information are urged to contact the IGP via WhatsApp at 071 859 8888 or the FCID through 011 233 7162 / 071 859 2087.
Investigations remain ongoing with a combined effort from the CID, FCID, Southern Provincial Criminal Investigation Bureau, Matara and Anuradhapura CID branches, along with the STF and Army. The collaboration underscores the seriousness of the case and the government’s determination to bring all perpetrators to justice.
The assassination of Wickramasinghe not only exposes the dark underbelly of organized crime in Sri Lanka but also raises questions about political security in the South. As police close in on the suspects, the search for the escaped gunman is intensifying, and the nation watches closely for answers in a case that has gripped public attention.
