The story that follows the murder of Podi Pati by Loku Pati's younger brother

Podda Patty, the brother of 'Loku Patty,' a powerful criminal currently held in remand prison, has been shot dead by an unknown gunman. The murder occurred yesterday (01) around 8:10 PM in the Welikanda area of Ahungalla, and he succumbed to severe head injuries while being transported to the hospital.

The victim, who was working as a painter at a local lodge, had been drinking alcohol with a friend at his home on the day of the incident. The friend later left, and as the victim returned home with another bottle of beer and called out to his wife, the attack occurred. The gunman, who arrived on foot, fired shots from a 9mm pistol and then fled through a wooded area near the house, according to the police.

The deceased, who had no criminal charges against him, lived in the said house with a married woman and her seven-year-old daughter. She is the sister of 'Ahungalle Madushan,' an organized criminal currently hiding abroad. Madushan, who was closely associated with Loku Patty's gang for some time, later left and established connections with 'Kosgoda Sujee,' a powerful criminal residing abroad. Investigations have revealed that Loku Patty and his other brother, 'Ahungalle Sanjeewa,' strongly opposed the relationship between Madushan's sister and Podda Patty due to this reason.

However, the police strongly suspect that this murder may have been orchestrated by Kosgoda Sujee's faction. Previously, on April 16, Kosgoda Sujee's faction had attempted to shoot and kill him with a T-56 firearm in the Ahungalla area, but he had managed to save his life. Furthermore, it is reported that he had received death threats on several occasions from Liyanagamage Lahiru, also known as 'Lahiru Dilshan,' a close associate of Kosgoda Sujee.

A few days prior, three individuals, including Kalu Nona, who is said to have managed Loku Patty's drug trafficking operation, were murdered in Baddegama, with the accusation falling on 'Karandeniye Sudda's' faction. Following this latest murder, although the police conducted an intensive search of the area, no trace of the gunman has been found yet. Further investigations into the incident are currently being carried out by three police teams under the full supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Lucky Randeniya, who is in charge of the Elpitiya Division.