A Senior Police officer said that the registration number of a hand tractor had been fixed to the car used by the killers for the double murder in the Malos Ela area in Talgahavila, Moragahahena.
This has been revealed after examining more than 10 clips of CCTV footage regarding the vehicle which was fleeing towards Padukka after the murder and after obtaining the registration number installed on it. Accordingly, after an investigation conducted through the Department of Motor Traffic revealed that the owner of the tractor with the registration number is a person from the Katupotha area, a special Police team was sent to the Katupotha area to confirm the fact and obtain a statement from him, the officer said.
A traffic offence committed by the killers while driving their car in the Wellawatte area using the same registration number as on April 4, has been recorded by CCTV, the officer said.
According to Police sources, information has been received that the car in question was obtained from a vehicle rental agency in Negombo. Jayakodige Thanuja Sampath aka ‘Homagama Handaya’, who is a leading organised criminal living abroad in the name of the Air Force soldier who was the shooter in the double murder, who died in a shootout with the Police at Somananda Mawatha, Angampitiya in Padukka in the early hours of yesterday, had bought a land with a house as well as luxury goods for that house that was used by the deceased suspect. In addition, it has been revealed that the electricity and water bills are also in his name.
Western Province Southern District Crime Division and Panadura Division Criminal Investigation Division are jointly conducting investigations.
Bimal Jayasinghe