Kapila, who obtained bail, was not met before his death - views were exchanged through Aravinda - lawyers testify.

The magisterial inquiry into the death by hanging of Mr. Kapila Chandrasena, former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, at the Kollupitiya Pedris Road residence of former veteran cricketer Mr. Aravinda de Silva, was called yesterday (05) before Fort Chief Magistrate Mr. Pasan Amarasekara. There, Kollupitiya Chief Police Inspector Mr. Lalith Kumarasiri Bandara Silogama reported to the court that Mr. Chandrasena was already deceased when the police arrived at the said residence following a phone call.

He further stated that the death had already been confirmed by a doctor at a private hospital in Colombo.

The Chief Police Inspector, who gave evidence under the direction of Colombo Crimes Division Sub-Inspector Jayantha Lal and OIC Chief Police Inspector Aruna Krishantha, described the scene of the incident in detail. Accordingly, when the police team arrived at the three-story house around 8:42 AM, Mr. Aravinda de Silva, his wife, Attorney Priyantha, and Dr. Lakshani Liyanage of Durdans Hospital, among others, were present. The deceased's body was found in the left-side room on the first floor, with the body positioned as if resting his head on a chair in the room where the light bulbs were lit. A light blue belt was found around his neck, and the police observed that one part of it, where the stitching had come undone, was stuck in the upper part of the bathroom door. The police informed the court that there was only one door to enter the room, and since the windows were closed, there was no evidence of an external person having entered.

Subsequently, President's Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne, who appeared in a case filed by the Bribery Commission against the late Mr. Kapila Chandrasena, gave evidence. He stated that he had no prior knowledge regarding Mr. Chandrasena's death and recalled that his client was granted bail in the relevant case on May 5, 2026. Although a cash bail of LKR 500,000 and personal bail were granted, the bail process was hindered due to the lack of proper Grama Seva certificates. The President's Counsel further stated that after learning through the media that a warrant had been issued against Mr. Chandrasena on May 7, Mr. Aravinda de Silva and his wife, among others, visited his office to discuss the matter. Mr. Arsecularatne added that he then contacted Mr. Kapila Chandrasena via phone and strongly advised him to immediately surrender to the court and explain what had happened.

Attorney Udara Muhandiram, who acted as a junior counsel in this case, also gave evidence before the court. He stated that he acted solely on the instructions of the President's Counsel and that when three personal bails of LKR 10 million each and a cash bail of LKR 500,000 were imposed, some sureties were rejected by the court registrar due to various shortcomings in their Grama Niladhari certificates. Mr. Muhandiram explained that he saw in the media that a warrant had been issued for Mr. Kapila Chandrasena, and when Chandrasena contacted him by phone on May 7, he consulted the President's Counsel and provided advice. However, he further informed the court that during the legal discussions with Mr. Aravinda de Silva, he did not directly communicate with Mr. Chandrasena. After considering all the evidence presented, the court ordered the further hearing of evidence to be postponed until the 9th.