Sri Lanka Police have successfully thwarted an attempt to assassinate the parents of the wife of underworld figure infamously known as “Kehelbaddara Padme” in an apparent act of retaliation for the murder of notorious underworld figure “Ganemulla Sanjeewa”.

According to police, two young men suspected to have been involved in the murder plot were apprehended while allegedly surveilling the house of Kehelbaddara Padme’s wife in Pannala. At the time of their arrest, her mother, father, and younger brother were inside the residence.

Police had received intelligence regarding a potential attack on the household and, upon arriving at the scene, discovered the two individuals recording video footage of the premises. The suspects, aged 21 and 24, revealed during interrogation that they had been acting on instructions from a criminal figure known as “Dubai Sameera”, police said. 

According to their statements, “Dubai Sameera” had directed them to record the approach route to the house and transfer the footage to him. They have also admitted that he had occasionally provided them with money to purchase drugs.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers have uncovered a hidden firearm in the Koswatta area of Pannala, further solidifying suspicions that the arrested individuals were preparing for an attack. 

The suspects will remain in custody for further questioning and are scheduled to be presented before the court tomorrow, police added.

Meanwhile, the Prisons Department has recorded statements from 16 individuals as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of “Ganemulla Sanjeewa”. Among those questioned are officers who were responsible for escorting him to court on the day of his assassination.

Prisons Department sources confirmed that statements are yet to be recorded from approximately 15 more individuals. According to official records, Sanjeewa was brought before Court No. 9 in Aluthkade as per a court order, before being produced in Court No. 5 for a separate case on the same day.

In a significant development, police have discovered a mobile phone on the premises opposite the cell where “Ganemulla Sanjeewa” was detained at Boossa Prison the day before his murder. Prisons Media Spokesperson Gamini Dissanayake stated that the device has been handed over to the relevant authorities for further forensic examination.