Murder of Rathgama businessmen - two more suspects arrested

THE BEAT OFFICER HAD HELPED TO FIND A PLACE WHERE THE BODIES OF THE TWO MURDERED BUSINESSMEN COULD BE BURNED

A Beat Forest Officer stationed at the Kanumuldeniya Forest Reserve and a police constable were taken intro custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

They were taken in for questioning in connection with the abduction and killing of two businessmen from Rathgama whose bodies were burned thereafter, Police Media spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

According to investigation, the beat officer, a resident of Wehella in Dikwella had helped to find a place where the bodies of the two murdered businessmen could be burned inside the reserve, therefore aiding and abetting the incident. He has also been identified as a friend of Inspector of Police Kapila Nishan de Silva, a suspect now in remand prison in connection with the double murder.

The beat officer was due to be produced before the Galle Magistrate today (4)

Meanwhile a former PC who was attached to the special investigation unit of the Southern Senior DIG, who had been evading arrest, surrendered to the CID on Friday (1) and was placed under arrest.

During his 48-hour detention on a court order, the PC revealed when questioned that three mobile phones belonging to the dead businessmen were thrown into a lagoon in the Dikwella area.

Navy divers, who were deployed to search for the phones recovered the same at the spot indicated by the suspect yesterday (3)

The Police media Officer revealed that SIM numbers of these phones matched those used by the two deceased businessmen Rasin Chinthaka (31) and Manjula Asela Kumara (33) who were abducted on January 23.