Maligawatta shooting suspects still at large

No suspects have yet been arrested in the shooting incident in the Apple-watta area in Maligawatta last Tuesday (January 3), which resulted in the death of a person whose brother is a prominent underworld figure in the area, police said. They said that the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has intensified its search for the suspects involved in the incident.

The victim, Mohammed Rasuldeen, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Colombo National Hospital while on life support. Two other persons were also injured during the shooting.

Police media spokesman Ajith Rohana said the suspects who allegedly damaged vehicles and property after the shooting have already been identified but the weapons and the suspects involved with the actual shooting are yet to be established.

Several vehicles, mainly trishaws and motorbikes, had been set on fire and several others were damaged after the shooting, said sources from the area. The incident took place around 1.00 am when an armed group stormed the house of an underworld figure. The underworld leader’s brother opened the door and was shot by the armed group. Coincidentally, the underworld leader was not at his house.

A police constable was injured when the police tried to calm the angry crowds that threw stones at vehicles parked in the area.