Women MP Resigns Following Husband’s Arrest in Major Drug Case

In a dramatic turn of events, Peliyagoda Municipal Council member Disna Niranjala Kumari of the National People’s Power (NPP) has resigned from her post, following the arrest of her husband and son in connection with a major heroin bust.

Police in Anuradhapura’s Eppawala area recently apprehended her husband, a school principal, and another suspect with over one kilogram of heroin (1.184 kg). The suspects were taken into custody during a hotel raid, and later produced before the Thambuttegama Magistrate’s Court, which ordered them to be remanded for seven days pending further investigation.

Clean Politics 

In her resignation letter, Kumari expressed deep personal distress over the incident, stating that she made the decision as a gesture of responsibility and solidarity with her party’s efforts to uphold ethical political standards. She noted that stepping down would allow due legal process to proceed without hindrance and reinforce the NPP’s commitment to “building a clean political culture.”

The letter has been formally submitted to the Gampaha District Returning Officer, with a copy sent to the party’s General Secretary.

Meanwhile, the Anuradhapura Division Criminal Investigation Unit has initiated a detailed probe, with the court ordering access to the suspects’ bank accounts and phone records. Police reports indicate that one of the arrested suspects, Principal Jayanta Balasuriya, is Kumari’s husband, and the other detainee is H.A. Tharindu Dhananjaya Wickramasinghe.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala commented that while investigations are ongoing, it would be premature to make definitive statements. However, he stressed that under the current government, “no one is above the law,” and arrests have been carried out regardless of position or affiliation.

Principals and the Principal 

Adding another layer to the unfolding story, police sources have reportedly revealed that the arrested principal is a relative of the underworld figure “Kosgoda Sujee,” who has been linked to multiple organized crime networks.

The resignation of Disna Niranjala Kumari — one of the few women representatives in the Peliyagoda Municipal Council — comes at a time when the government has intensified its crackdown on narcotics. Her decision underscores the deepening intersection between politics, law enforcement, and public accountability in Sri Lanka’s ongoing battle against drug-related crime.