Police have appealed to the public for assistance in locating a 38‑year‑old resident of Ragama who has been sentenced to death in connection with a 2019 murder case.

The Negombo High Court imposed the death penalty after the convict was found guilty of murdering a woman in the Walpola area of the Ragama Police Division. 

The sentence was delivered in absentia under provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, as the convict failed to appear before court.

Police have requested public support to trace him. Public with information have been requested to inform the Police via the following numbers:

• OIC, Ragama 2 — 0718591604
• OIC, Crime Division — 0719627561 (Newswire)

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A Sub‑Inspector of Police attached to the Sri Lanka Police, who also served as Officer‑in‑Charge of the Traffic Division, was arrested on Tuesday (17) by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

According to the Bribery Commission, the arrest took place around 6:30 p.m. following a complaint lodged by a resident of Ragama. 

The complainant, a trader at the Ragama market, had obtained a permit from the Ja Ela Pradeshiya Sabha to conduct business on the roads within the market premises on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The complainant alleged that the police officer demanded a bribe to ensure vehicles would not park on the roads, thereby allowing traders and pedestrians to carry out their activities without hindrance. 

The officer had allegedly requested Rs. 5,000 per market day, totalling Rs. 10,000 for the two weekly market days.

Bribery Commission officers subsequently set a trap and apprehended the Sub‑Inspector while he was accepting the bribe. 

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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Two individuals, residents of Ragama, were arrested on Wednesday (18) by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, following accusations that they solicited and accepted a bribe of Rs. 50,000.

According to a Bribery Commission statement, the suspects were arrested at the Mihiri Hotel in Ragama town last morning.

The Bribery Commission states that the suspects had allegedly demanded money while serving as witnesses in a case before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court under the Food Act, promising to act in a way favourable to the defence.

The complaint was lodged by a Ragama resident, who claimed the case involved a hotel registered under his son’s name.

The suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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The Kelaniya Division Crime Investigations Unit has uncovered a major cache of weapons and drugs, including two SMG-type firearms with two magazines containing ten 9mm live rounds, T56 Type 02 weapon components, 9.24 kg of heroin, and 67.57 kg of Kerala cannabis.

The cache of weapons and drugs was found following Police investigations into the shooting in Ragama on 03 July, where an individual identified as ‘Army Upul’ was fatally shot. 

The Police yesterday intercepted a suspicious motorcycle near Batuwatta cemetery and arrested the rider after discovering over 09 kilos of heroin in his bag.

Upon questioning, the suspect revealed he had delivered the firearm used in the Ragama shooting and had hidden it alongside another weapon at his temporary residence. 

A search of the residence led to the recovery of both firearms, and further questioning led to a second stash of cannabis weighing over 67 kilos, and other items, including military gear and electronics.

The 26-year-old suspect is a resident of Baseline Road, Borella, and is currently in custody for further interrogation. (Newswire)

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The new Government Fertility Centre established at the Ragama Medical Faculty of the University of Kelaniya has reported its first successful In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) fertility treatment.  

The treatment, at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, is conducted at a low cost and with government aid. 

Speaking to the media, the first patient to undergo the treatment revealed she was 28 weeks pregnant and that the treatment was successful.

“I had no children for almost 08 years after marriage. I underwent many treatments, and I could not pay more than Rs. 01 million. As I had no alternative, I agreed to this treatment. Once I started the treatment, I was given everything free of charge. Now I am 28 weeks pregnant,” she said. 

Also commenting on the treatment, Specialist Doctor Tiran Dias of the Ragama Medical Faculty told the media that the treatment was conducted as a pilot project.

“We wanted to ascertain whether this treatment could be conducted by us, and we have proven it. It has been successful. Now, we will have to hold discussions with the relevant officials, including the Health Ministry, on creating a system to continuously provide this treatment and on patient selection,” he added. (Newswire)

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A principal of a primary school in Ragama has been arrested for soliciting a bribe of Rs. 150,000 for school admission.

According to the Bribery Commission, the principal had solicited a bribe from a woman from the Maththumagala area to admit a student into Grade 01 for the academic year 2025.

She was arrested by officials from the Bribery Commission while accepting the bribe at her office inside the school premises. 

The Bribery Commission said the arrested school principal will be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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A 39-year-old man has been shot dead in the Elpitiwala area in Ragama early this morning.

The Police said the man had been shot while inside a shop in the area around 07.15 am. 

Investigations have revealed that two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle had carried out the shooting and fled the area. 

The cause for the shooting is yet to be ascertained, while the Ragama Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire)

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Three individuals sustained injuries in a shooting carried out by an unidentified person in the Walpola area in Ragama yesterday (Dec 14).

Police investigations have revealed that the suspect had arrived on a motorcycle and had called out to the people in a house in the area.

A resident of the house who had escaped the shooting told the media that the suspect had specifically referred to his uncle and asked for him to come outside. 

He said at the time, his aunt and their son had been in the front of the house talking to the suspect, and as his uncle had come forward, the shooting had taken place.

The suspect is reported to have fled the area following the shooting.

A 17-year-old boy and a woman are among the three persons injured in the shooting. They have been admitted to the Ragama General Hospital for treatment. 

The Ragama Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire)

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