Pelawatte Businessman Death: Police suspect murder

by Zulfick Farzan 03-02-2023 | 1:01 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); The car that belonged to millionaire businessman Roshan Wanninayake, the owner of a retail clothing chain, who was found dead in a rooftop swimming pool at a house in Pelawatte, Battaramulla was located from St. Joseph's Mawatha in Negombo on Friday (3) morning.

Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that those who took away the car had informed a vehicle maintenance company that the car had suffered an issue, and abandoned it in Negombo.

Sri Lanka Police had located the vehicle after it was towed away by the vehicle maintenance company.

Sri Lanka Police suspect that the couple that took away the car had already traveled overseas.

50-year-old Roshan Wanninayake was reported missing since the 30th of January 2023.

Sri Lanka Police said that investigations are taking place, considering the death as murder.

Blood stains were found close to the swimming pool from where the body of the deceased businessman was found on Thursday (2).

Preliminary investigations have led the detectives to believe that the businessman was killed after being attacked on the head with an object, and thereafter the body was dragged and placed in the swimming pool.

Roshan Wanninayake was temporarily living with his sister in Wellampitiya, as his residence in Pelawatte was undergoing renovations.

He had left the Wellampitiya residence in his car at 7 PM on the night of the 30th, and several calls made by his sister thereafter had gone unanswered.

He last call was made at around 7:29 that night.

Thereafter, his sister had filed a missing persons' complaint with the Wellampitiya Police citing that he was missing, and that his mobile phone was inactive.

Based on a suspicion, his sister accompanied by a number of relatives had decided to visit the house under renovation in Pelawatte, and had come across the lifeless body floating in the swimming pool.

According to family sources, the millionaire businessman's mobile phone, wallet and four credit cards are missing.

The Colombo Crimes Division is conducting an investigation into the death.