The 'mystery' left behind by the former Inspector General of Police who bids farewell today

A special police investigation is currently underway regarding the sudden demise of Mr. Chandana Deepal Wickramaratne, a distinguished officer who served as the 35th Inspector General of Police of the Sri Lanka Police Department. Mr. Wickramaratne, who joined the service as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police on June 16, 1986, and served for a long period until completing 60 years of age, mysteriously died from a gunshot wound at his residence in Thalahena, Malabe, on the morning of the 17th.

On the day of the incident, around 7:00 AM, the former IGP reportedly requested his security officer's firearm, ostensibly to inspect it. He then instructed the security officer to fetch a bottle of water, and it is said that the shooting occurred while the officer went to get the water. It is still unclear whether the firearm discharged accidentally or if he shot himself. While suicides typically involve gunshots to the head or neck, in this incident, the gunshot wound was to the chest area.

Under the instructions of the current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, several police teams, including the Western Province South Special Investigations Unit, are conducting extensive investigations into the matter. Following the reporting of facts by the Malabe Police, Kaduwela Magistrate Mr. Aruna Indrajith Buddadasa inspected the scene of the incident and the body, which was placed at the East Colombo Teaching Hospital. The Magistrate ordered the Judicial Medical Officer to conduct a formal inquiry into the incident and submit a post-mortem report stating the cause of death to the court. It was also ordered that the body be handed over to Mr. Vinura Wickramaratne, the son of the former IGP, for burial without cremation.

After being placed at the Thalahena residence, the former IGP's body was moved to a private funeral parlour in Borella, where relatives, friends, former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, along with many ministers, parliamentarians, and police chiefs, came to pay their last respects. Police Media Spokesman and Assistant Superintendent of Police Udayakumara Wuttler confirmed that although police honours are not typically accorded in cases of suicide, due to the absence of any strong reason for suicide being revealed and the suspicion that it might have been an accidental discharge, it was decided to conduct the final rites with full police honours.

Although he was reportedly distressed due to a complaint made by his son's wife, investigating officers believe that this would not have led to such a destructive step. Furthermore, investigations are also being conducted into individuals who visited the house before the incident. Former President Maithripala Sirisena, who came to pay respects to the body, stated that he, Ranga Kalansooriya, and Mr. C.D. Wickramaratne had met a few days prior and had a friendly conversation for about two hours, during which he observed no change in Mr. Wickramaratne. The final rites for Mr. C.D. Wickramaratne, who rendered distinguished service to the Sri Lanka Police Department, are scheduled to be held today (the 20th) with full police honours at the Borella General Cemetery.