The Western Province North Crimes Division has arrested a 24‑year‑old man from Seeduwa, for allegedly assisting in a fatal shooting that took place during a birthday party in Wattala last week.

Investigations into the July 23 incident at Kadirana Palliayawatta began after a man was shot and killed during the celebration. 

Police say the suspect was taken into custody yesterday (29) after evidence revealed he had withdrawn money from his account to rent the vehicle used by the gunmen.

Further investigations into the incident being carried out by the Western Province North Crimes Division. (Newswire)

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Minister of Science and Technology and Wattala District MP Chrishantha Abeysena yesterday joined a protest demanding the appointment of a religious sister as the principal of the Nayakakanda Good Shepherd Convent in Wattala.

The demonstration, organised by the National Collective to Protect Catholic Schools, was held to oppose the appointment of a lay principal and to call for the continuation of the school’s long-standing tradition of religious leadership.

Catholic clergy, religious sisters, alumni, teachers, parents and past pupils of the school participated in the protest.

Speaking to reporters, MP Abeysena said the demonstration was aimed at safeguarding the traditional values of the Catholic school system and supporting the appointment of a religious sister as principal of the school.

He said the event also drew support from members of Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim communities in the area, reflecting interfaith solidarity and community unity.

“The just objectives of this protest are aimed at preserving the moral and cultural identity of our educational institutions for future generations,” the Minister said.

The protest comes amid an ongoing dispute over the appointment of a lay principal through a government transfer earlier this year.

Parents and the school’s Old Girls’ Association have argued that the move departs from the school’s long-standing practice of being headed by members of the Good Shepherd religious order, although they have stated that they have no personal objections to the newly appointed principal.

The Western Province Governor has previously said the appointment was made through established administrative procedures and that it would not be appropriate to intervene in the process already undertaken by the relevant education authorities. (Newswire)

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A coordinated search operation in Wattala on Feb. 2 has led to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of some 744,500 pharmaceutical capsules suspected to have been smuggled into the country.

The operation was carried out jointly by the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, based on intelligence from the Northwestern Naval Command.

Navy personnel from SLNS Rangala and Gemunu of the Western Naval Command, along with Wattala Police, arrested the suspects and confiscated the drug capsules along with a lorry used for transportation.

The suspects, aged 28 and 32, are residents of Kalpitiya and Kobeygane. The suspects, together with the drugs were handed over to the Wattala Police Station for further investigations. (Newswire)

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A technical officer of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha’s Welisara sub‑office was arrested yesterday (07) by the Bribery Commission for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs. 50,000 to approve a building plan despite its shortcomings.

According to the Bribery Commission, the arrest was made following a complaint lodged by a resident of Ragama.

The suspect had pointed out deficiencies in the complainant’s building plan in Welisara, but allegedly demanded and accepted the money to overlook those shortcomings and grant approval. 

He was arrested at around 3.50 pm yesterday (07 Jan) at the Welisara sub‑office of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha while receiving the bribe.

The Bribery Commission further stated that the suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (08 Jan). (Newswire)

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Two men have been arrested by the Wattala Police for allegedly behaving in a disorderly manner and verbally abusing a female Buddhist monk near the Rathnawali Temple in Kerawalapitiya, Wattala.

Police said the suspects, aged 58 and 67, are residents of Wattala. 

The incident, which occurred on Sunday night (2), was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media.

Both suspects are to be produced before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court today (3). (Newswire)

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Two suspects have been arrested for the possession of nearly 300 kilos of cannabis, worth over Rs. 50 million, in Wattala.

According to the Police, the suspects were arrested during a raid conducted by the Police Narcotics Bureau last night, based on a tip-off. 

The stock of cannabis was found inside a room of a rented house in the Bangalawatte area in Wattala.

The arrested suspects are residents of Grandpass, aged 43 and 49 years.

The suspects are to be produced before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court. The Police Narcotics Bureau is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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A large stock of wheat flour unfit for human consumption, which was to be released to the local market, has been seized from a warehouse in Uswetakeiyawa, Wattala. 

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said the stock of wheat flour was found based on additional information collected during a raid conducted in the Pettah area. 

As such, CAA officials seized 750 tonnes of wheat flour unfit for human consumption from the warehouse in Wattala yesterday. 

The stock of wheat flour had expiry dates of March and May 2024 but had been adjusted to 2025, while it was also found to be severely infested with insects.

The CAA, which had taken custody of the wheat flour stock, is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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A 22-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection to the murder of a businessman in Wattala.

The Police said the body of the 56-year-old businessman was found several days after the murder, due to a foul smell emitting from the man’s house. 

Upon inspection, the Police found the businessman, whose throat was slit, dead on his bed.

Police investigations found CCTV footage of an individual arriving with the businessman in his car, using his motorcycle, and a three-wheeler also arriving near the house.

Interrogations of the owner of the three-wheeler had revealed that his son had been informed to visit the house. 

Upon being questioned, the three-wheeler owner’s son revealed he had been informed to come to the house by an individual identified as Lahiru.

Even though the suspect had fled the area by then, the Police were able to apprehend him twelve days after the murder.

The suspect had confessed that he had closely associated with the businessman and had murdered him to rob his jewellery. 

He was remanded until 11 March 2025 after being produced before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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Two suspects have been arrested with over 03 kilos of Methamphetamine AKA ‘ICE’.

According to the Police, the suspects are aged 27 and 31 years old and are residents of Sedawatte and Mattakkuliya. 

They were arrested along with 3.336 kilos of ICE based on a tip-off received by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB). 

The Police had taken into custody the suspects and seized the contraband near Elakanda in Hendala, Wattala. 

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

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Video footage has been shared on social media of an attempted robbery in Wattala.

According to information shared on ‘X’, the incident had occurred on Kuda-Edanda Road in Wattala last night.

A female resident of the area in a car is reported to have been followed by two men on a motorcycle from a supermarket in Wattala. 

Video footage shows the woman being obstructed by the suspects, while she manages to escape despite one suspect attempting to break open the car. (NewsWire)

Last night around 11.45 p.m. a neighbour's vehicle has been followed by two people on a bike from spa supermarket.
They have stopped her vehicle near the first bend at Kuda-Edanda Road, Wattala.
One guy had pulled a knife and tried to break the windscreen
She has somehow managed… pic.twitter.com/gHe7n1kBgT

— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) December 20, 2023

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