Ten special police teams have been deployed on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police to investigate the fatal shooting of a couple in Akuregoda, Thalangama.
Police said the incident occurred on the evening of 13 February at the car park of a supermarket in the area. Two unidentified men who arrived in a car had opened fire at the couple while they were inside their vehicle.
The victims have been identified as a 44-year-old Attorney-at-Law and his 42-year-old wife, residents of Athurugiriya. Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi had been primarily engaged in legal practice at the Colombo High Court.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that a T56 assault rifle and a pistol were used in the shooting. Following the Magistrate’s inquest, the bodies were placed at the Colombo National Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations.
Police sources said investigators are examining several possible motives. Mallawarachchi had reportedly represented a number of individuals alleged to have links to organized crime in past cases, and authorities are looking into whether his professional engagements may have had any connection to the shooting. Police stressed that investigations are ongoing and no conclusions have been reached.
Meanwhile, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) strongly condemned the killing in a statement issued on Friday, describing it as a grave threat to the Rule of Law.
The BASL urged Police to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation, apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure they are brought before the law without delay. It also called on law enforcement authorities to take concrete steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. (Newswire)