KOTTE KILLERS REVEALED THROUGH THE VEHICLE NUMBER

The car registration number had been written on the sand surface in the temple premises by a devotee who had come for a ”bodhi  poojawa”,  had helped immensely in locating the main suspect.

The main suspect in the murder of the two monks at the Rajamaha Viharaya temple in Kotte, A Basnayake Nilame of a temple in the Galgamuwa area had been arrested by the Police the same night. The incident of this double murder had taken place on the night of the 20th.The Police who came for investigations had been so efficient that they were able to arrest one suspect just a few hours later.

It is reported that the Police units were deployed and the main suspect had been arrested with the aid of some clues from Thanamalwila area in the Embilipitiya District, today morning. He is 21 year old person who had once been a monk for three years who had now disrobed. When the main suspect was questioned he had said the cause of the murder was because of a land dispute. But on further interrogation the main suspect had told the reason was to rob the gold sword which had many expensive gems embedded within it. He had confessed that he killed the monks as he was identified them.

The main suspect who was arrested on the 21st early morning is the ‘ Basnayake Nilame’of Galgamuwa Palugalla area temple and is also an employee of an insurance company is a bachelor and is 26 year old. It was revealed that he is familiar to many temples and was a regular visitor to the Kotte Rajamaha Viharaya temple. The main suspect had been a monk but had disrobed is 21 year old and had been lived by doing odd jobs.

It is learnt that he had come to Colombo in search of a small job in response to a paper advertisement for a job in a cement industry workshop. He had confessed that he had accepted this job as it was easy for him to manipulate their plan to rob the gold sword with his colleague, the second suspect who had come to the temple around 9.45 p .m. The main suspect had been hiding inside the temple premises. The Basnayake Nilame had been speaking to Ven Boralesgamuwe Gunaratna Thera when he had asked a glass of water to drink.

At that tine Ven.Pitigala Jinasena Thera had been in the bathroom having a wash.The Nilame had into the bathroom while the main suspect the 21 year old had stabbed the Thera who was in the bathroom with a sharp knife. On hearing screams Ven. Boralesgamuwe Thera has come to the scene,  who too was stabbed brutally. While the former died on the spot, the latter had succumbed to his injuries on his way to the Kalubowila hospital.
After the stabbing the two suspects had escaped through two gates in the temple.

Before this incident a devotee who had come to the temple had written on the sandy surface the number of the vehicle which was parked. It read clearly as KM 6376.The Police had immediately had gone in search of this vehicle. Police sniffer dogs had been brought to the scene of the tragedies. The Police dogs had gone to a nearby house where the Police found 4 persons enjoying by consuming liquor. They fled on seen the Police. However they were caught and arrested by the Police.

The Police had then gone in search of the vehicle. The owner had been living on ’Shiromi’ Mawatha along Maharagama-Piliyandala road.They had broken the gate and had entered the house. They had found the second suspect sleeping inside the house. Initially when questioned he had denied about the murders. But when he was threatened he had disclosed that it was done by another person. The car was parked behind the house and its engine was still hot even after a few hours. Both had travelled in the same vehicle but he had got off from the Borelesgamuwa area.

The Basnayake Nilame, is 26 years old and is still a bachelor. His fiance’is supposed to be living in the Amparai area. The second suspect had planned to leave for Amparai the following day.

The main suspect arrested this morning is yet to be questioned. The Police investigations are proceeding.