A 49‑year‑old owner of a pharmacy in Wattala has been arrested in connection with the shocking case in Kokkadicholai, Batticaloa, where women were allegedly lured, drugged, robbed, and thrown into wells.
The suspect was taken into custody on Sunday (29) by officers of the Eastern Province Crimes Division and produced before the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court the following day, where he was detained for 03 days for interrogation.
Police say this latest arrest brings the total number of suspects to six as the investigation widens.
Authorities allege the group targeted women travelling alone, enticing them into a three‑wheeler before administering intoxicating substances, stealing jewellery, and abandoning them in wells while unconscious.
One victim died, while another survived and was admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. In a separate incident, a mother travelling with her three‑year‑old child was attacked. The child was later found abandoned but safe. (Newswire)
