Former Sri Lanka U19 captain’s shooter arrested

Sri Lanka Police says the alleged shooter involved in the killing of former captain of Sri Lanka’s Under-19 cricket team, Dhammika Niroshana, in front of his house has been arrested.

Officers of the Galle District Crimes Division have arrested the suspect last evening (18), according to a spokesman.

He said that three suspects had arrived to commit the murder of Dhammika Niroshana, who is also known as ‘Jonty’, and that the other two suspects have been identified.

The 48-year-old suspect was arrested in Randombe area in Balapitiya along with 2,800 milligrams of ‘ice’ drugs, also known as crystal methamphetamine.

Meanwhile officers of the Elpitiya Divisional Crimes Unit have recovered the sets of clothes used by the suspects to disguise themselves.

Police suspect that the killing was carried out based on a contract received from a foreign country.

The arrested suspect was remanded until August 03 after being produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate’s Court.

Dhammika Niroshana, also known as ‘Jonty,’ a former captain of Sri Lanka’s Under-19 cricket team, was shot dead on Tuesday (16) night in Ambalangoda.

The shooting occurred at around 9.30 p.m. in front of the victim’s house at Kande Mawatha in Bogahawatte, Ambalangoda. 

Niroshana was shot by an assailant who was armed with a 12-bore rifle, while he had been shot in the head killing him instantly. 

The shooting took place as the victim was preparing to leave his house to attend a funeral ceremony. 

The shooter had fired from near an abandoned plot of land near the victim’s house and had then fled the scene on foot.

Niroshana, a 41-year-old father of two, had captained the Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team in 2002. 

Police suspect the murder may be linked to a past dispute at an illegal gambling venue, as Niroshana was involved in organising such gambling activities at funerals and had received threats to his life prior to the incident.