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)

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A peaceful protest was held at Gandhi Park in Batticaloa today (27), as residents and relatives of victims demanded swift justice following a series of brutal crimes in the area.

The demonstration was sparked by the murder of a woman whose body was found in a well in the Kokkadicholai Police Division on March 20, and the attempted murder of another woman who survived a similar attack. 

Opposition MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, together with residents of Batticaloa and relatives of the victims, handed over a petition to the Chairman of the Batticaloa District Coordinating Committee, Minister Sunil Handunneththi, expressing grief and outrage and urging police to take stronger action against criminal gangs targeting women.

Police investigations have since led to the arrest of five suspects, including a woman, in connection with the incidents. 

Authorities revealed that the group allegedly lured women travelling alone into a three‑wheeler, drugged them with intoxicating substances, robbed them of jewellery, and threw them into wells while unconscious. 

One victim died, while another survived and was admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. In a separate case, a mother travelling with her three‑year‑old child was attacked. The child was later found abandoned but safe.

Further arrests were made after stolen jewellery was recovered, and police are probing whether the suspects were involved in other similar crimes. (Newswire)

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