Deadly Trail Behind Ambalangoda Assassination

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chairman of the Ambalangoda Modara Devala Committee, Mirantha Varushavithana, was fatally shot this morning.

According to police reports, the victim is identified as a relative of Karandeniya Sudda, a key member of an organized criminal syndicate currently in hiding overseas.

The shooting occurred around 10:30 AM Tuesday morning on the road in front of the Ambalangoda Urban Council and the main public library.

According to police, Mirantha Varushavithana, Chairman of the Ambalangoda Modara Devala Committee, was traveling on a motorcycle when an individual in a car opened fire and fled the scene.

As the motorcycle turned onto the Urban Council road, the car attempted to overtake it but was blocked by a three-wheeler coming from the opposite direction.

The car then followed the motorcycle and launched the attack in front of the main library on the same road.

Mirantha Varushavithana sustained critical injuries and was admitted to the Balapitiya Hospital, where he later succumbed to his wounds.

Police suspect the weapon used was either a 9mm firearm or a T56 assault rifle.

Varushavithana was struck by four bullets—two to the face and two to the chest.

The 55-year-old father of two was a resident of the Poramba area in Ambalangoda.

The red car suspected to have been used in the shooting was found abandoned about 9 kilometers away in the Karandeniya Maha Edanda area.

Inside the vehicle, police discovered a pair of shorts, a shirt, and a face mask.

Varushavithana named in the list for the recent local government elections under the Samagi Jana Bala Wegaya ticket for the Ambalangoda Urban Council.

Police revealed that he was a relative of Sobana Handijayalath de Silva, also known as Karandeniya Sudda, a member of an organized crime syndicate currently hiding overseas.

Varushavithana also served as a director of the Ambalangoda Multi-Service Cooperative Society and was Chairman of the Ambalangoda Fisheries Harbor.

He was the head of the Modara Devalaya Committee, which was previously led by a Shaman recently arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department for alleged money laundering.

That shaman, arrested on October 16 by the Cyber Fraud Investigation Unit of the Illegal Assets Investigation Division, was reportedly managing the finances of the notorious criminal "Loku Paty," currently in remand custody for the Club Wasantha murder.

Investigators uncovered that over Rs. 330 million had circulated through the suspect’s bank accounts.