Eighteen (18) passengers were injured when a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus and a private bus collided at the Karadupana junction in Kegalle around 5.30 am today, Police said.

The SLTB bus had been travelling from Rambukkana to Kandy, while the private bus was en route from Digana to Colombo when the crash occurred. 

Among the injured were 15 women and three men, all of whom were admitted to the Kegalle Hospital.

Police confirmed that none of the victims are in serious condition. Investigations into the cause of the collision are underway. (Newswire/ Image- Accident1st)

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Two new model villages, Nanda Gama in Kegalle and Jana Aruna Gama in Kalutara, built with Indian grant assistance, were officially inaugurated and handed over to beneficiaries on Wednesday (29).

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe jointly presided over the ceremonies. 

Minister of Environment Dr. Dammika Patabendi joined the event in Kegalle, while Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa attended in Kalutara.

A total of 48 families received housing units during the handover. The events drew participation from district parliamentarians, senior officials of the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, the National Housing Development Authority, and local administrators.

The Model Village Housing Project, launched under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2017 between India and Sri Lanka, aims to provide housing for 600 low‑income families across all 25 districts. Each model village consists of 24 housing units selected by District Housing Committees.

So far, villages have been completed and handed over in 18 districts including Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Kandy, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Matale, Puttalam, Colombo, Trincomalee, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Ratnapura, Ampara and Kurunegala. With progress at nearly 98.5%, the remaining five villages are expected to be inaugurated soon. (Newswire)

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A video circulating on social media showing two men verbally abusing and assaulting a woman near a vehicle at night has been revealed to be a prank, according to the Police.

The Kegalle Police Station traced the main suspect and summoned both the woman seen being assaulted and the alleged assailant to record their statements. 

According to the Police, investigations established that the incident, filmed on June 23 in Kegalle, was staged as a prank near the woman’s residence.

Police said the footage had been recorded by a friend of both parties and later released online, sparking public concern. 

However, the Police confirmed that no criminal act had taken place between the parties.

The suspect was released after being cautioned by the Police. (Newswire)

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Police have arrested a 42‑year‑old resident of Meepitiya in connection with the robbery of a gold pawn center in Main Street, Kegalle.

The suspect was taken into custody in the Katugastota area on Wednesday (24) along with part of the stolen jewellery weighing 38.39 grams.

According to police, two individuals had stormed the pawn center on Tuesday (23), injuring the custodian and threatening him before fleeing with gold items valued at approximately Rs. 21.3 million.

The Kegalle Police Division has launched further investigations into the incident and is pursuing additional suspects linked to the crime. (Newswire)

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One woman was reported dead and 11 others injured in a multi-vehicle collision in the Molagoda area on the Kandy- Colombo main road this afternoon.

According to the Police, a bus plying from Kandy to Colombo had struck two three-wheelers, two vans, a lorry and a motorcycle plying in the opposite direction.

Twelve persons injured in the accident had been admitted to the Kegalle Hospital, after which an elderly woman who had travelled in one three-wheeler succumbed to injuries. 

The driver of the bus has been arrested, while the Kegalle Police are conducting further investigations. (Newswire/ Image- Accident1st)

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Wildlife officers have arrested two hotel managers in the Kegalle district after deer mounts were found displayed at their establishments.

According to the Department of Wildlife Conservation, on April 25, officials from the Bulathkohupitiya Wildlife Office raided a hotel in the area following information that deer skulls with antlers were being exhibited. The manager was taken into custody along with two mounts.

The Department further said a second raid was carried out at a hotel in Alapalawala, Debathgama, where another mount was seized and the manager arrested.

Authorities confirmed the suspects will be produced before the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court and the Mawanella Magistrate’s Court, respectively, on May 5.

The Department noted that possession, transport, display, or sale of parts of protected animals is a punishable offence under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. (Newswire)

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The Kegalle District Consumer Affairs Office carried out special raids on Sunday (05), targeting traders in Thalduwa and Dehiowita towns who were exploiting consumers during the Avurudu festive season.

According to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), shops and beauty salons were thoroughly inspected, and strict legal action was taken against those found guilty of malpractice. 

Offences uncovered included selling Samba rice above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), hoarding Keeri Samba rice while falsely claiming it was out of stock, selling goods without price displays, offering expired goods for sale, and selling items without mandatory SLS certification. Inspections also revealed the use of substandard materials in beauty salons.

Authorities urged consumers to remain vigilant when purchasing goods during the festive season, reminding them to check expiry dates and displayed prices. 

The CAA further encouraged the public to report any irregularities via its hotline 1977. (Newswire/ AI Image)

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Sri Lanka Police has issued a clarification regarding a viral video circulating on social media depicting a clash between two school students in the Kegalle area.

According to the Police, the incident took place on February 21, 2025, at the Pitihuma junction in Kegalle.

Following a complaint lodged over the assault, investigations were carried out by the Kegalle main police station.

The Police confirmed that the suspects involved were produced before the magistrate’s court and subsequently released on bail. (Newswire)

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Samantha Ranasinghe was sworn in as the National People’s Power (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Kegalle District. 

He took oaths as an MP before Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament today. 

Samantha Ranasinghe fills the vacancy in Parliament created due to the death of NPP MP Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera.

Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera passed away at the age of 38, following a sudden heart attack on 06 April. (Newswire)

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Three suspects have been arrested in connection to the assault of a teenager, based on a video of the incident which had been widely circulated on social media recently.

Based on the video footage, the Sri Lanka Police had launched an investigation, identifying that the incident had occurred in Kegalle. 

Investigations by the Kegalle Police had led to the arrest of three youths, aged 16 and 17 years.

According to the Police, the suspects include two teenagers who had carried out the assault and another who had recorded the incident. 

The teenager injured in the incident is reported to have been discharged after receiving treatment.

The Kegalle Police is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) has won seven (07) seats in the Kegalle District under the Preferential voting system.

The preferential votes for the Kegalle District are as follows;

NPP – 07 seats

Dammika Patabendi – 186,409

Kosala Jayaweera – 61,713

Sagarika Athauda – 59,019

Manoj Rajapaksha – 54,173

Nandana Millagala – 49,635

Kanchana Welipitiya – 45,723

Nanda Bandara – 45,115

SJB – 02 seats

Kabeer Hashim – 36,034

Sujith Sanjaya Perera – 26,164 (Newswire)

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A former Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) member of the Kegalle Pradeshiya Sabha has been found murdered inside his residence in the Kossinna area in Kegalle. 

The Police said the man was found dead with his hands and feet tied to his bed, while his wife was found with serious injuries, also inside the house last morning.

Preliminary investigations have found that all the wardrobes in the house had been left open, while the former PS member’s car had been stolen.

The Police said the vehicle was later found abandoned in the Pindeniya Police Division. 

No details have emerged regarding the suspects or the cause of the attack. The Kegalle Police is conducting investigations to apprehend the suspects involved in the incident. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment has made arrangements to hold the next “Jayagamu Sri Lanka” People’s Mobile Service programme in Kegalle on 23 and 24 February 2024.  

The program is scheduled to be inaugurated tomorrow under the patronage of Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara and with the participation of the people’s representatives of the district.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment, along with this mobile service, many welfare programs have been organized for Sri Lankans working abroad and their family members in the Kegalle district. 

Through the Smart Youth program, vocational training opportunities will be provided to 10,000 youth throughout the island with the support of the Presidential Secretariat.

It is also planned to provide NVQ certificates to chosen people working in the informal sector in Sri Lanka under the “Garu Saru” program, which was initiated to ensure the safety and dignity of Informal Sector Workers in the country.

In addition, arrangements have been made to award scholarships and distribute school equipment to the school-going children of migrant workers residing in the Kegalle district. 

Arrangements have also been made to provide Smart Boards to establish smart classrooms in the schools of Kegalle district where the children of migrant workers are educated.

Also, programs will be implemented to provide assistance to start self-employment for workers who have returned to the island after completing their foreign employment, and migrant workers who are successfully engaged in business after coming to the country will be felicitated.

Stalls will be made available at this exhibition ground to sell the goods produced by migrant workers who have started self-employment initiatives after returning home.

Medical equipment, including spectacles and wheelchairs, will also be donated to disabled migrant workers.

To coincide with this program, local government officials will be made aware of the field of foreign employment, and also a media forum will be established by encompassing the professional journalists working in the Kegalle district.

Furthermore, the youth will have the opportunity to get job opportunities in foreign countries through accredited foreign employment agencies.

Arrangements have been made to hold a music concert with the participation of many popular artistes on Saturday night (Feb 24). (NewsWire)

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A couple has been arrested for financially defrauding Rs. 820,000 from the public promising overseas jobs.

The suspects were arrested by the Rambukkana Police based on investigations conducted into six complaints received in this regard. 

The Police stated that the couple was arrested in Kegalle last night (13). The man and woman are 27 years old and are residents of Rambukkana. 

Investigations have revealed that the suspects had carried out similar financial scams in several parts of Sri Lanka previously.

The Police stated that following the apprehension of the suspects a total of 46 individuals had filed complaints against the couple. 

The public who had been scammed by the suspects have been requested to file complaints with their nearest Police Station.

The Police added that the suspects will be produced before the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court today. (NewsWire)

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A Police Sergeant has been seriously injured after being attacked with a knife by a suspect against whom the court has issued an open warrant. 

Weddikkara Dhorayalage Victor Wijethunga who is a wanted criminal has reportedly been eluding the Police over the last two years.

However, upon receiving a tip-off that he had returned to his hometown in the Bodhawala area in Beligala, Kegalle, the Police conducted a special operation yesterday to apprehend him.

During the operation, the suspect had carried out a knife attack on a Police Sergeant seriously injuring him, while a Police Constable who had attempted to prevent the attack had also sustained injuries. 

The Police had managed to apprehend the suspect despite the knife attack. 

The injured Police Constable has been admitted to the Beligala Hospital, while the Police Sergeant has been transferred to the Kegalle Hospital for further treatment.

The suspect has also been hospitalized, while the Kegalle Police are conducting investigations. (NewsWire)

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An individual who had financially defrauded the public of nearly Rs. 30 million promising profits for investments has been arrested on Tuesday (May 02) by the Kegalle Police.

The Police stated that the suspect had registered a private company and had promised large profits for financial investments. 

The suspect had been arrested based on 09 complaints that had been filed with the Kegalle Police in this regard.

The Police stated that the suspect has been identified as a 40-year-old resident of Kegalle.

The suspect has been remanded until 17th May 2023 after being produced before the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court yesterday. (NewsWire)

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The Kegalle Provincial High Court has sentenced to death five persons accused of murder in 2014.

The five individuals were accused of having murdered a person by assaulting him with a cement block during a party at a house in the Kahagalla area in Devalagama on 3rd July 2014.

The accused were sentenced to death by Kegalle Provincial High Court Judge Jayaki de Alwis today (08). (NewsWire)

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