A shooting incident is reported inside the Mount Lavinia court premises this afternoon (Aug 04).
Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said a person who was among the crowd had opened fire at a suspect who was in the witness stand at the Mount Lavinia Court and fled the scene.
However, no one was injured in the shooting and a search is in progress to apprehend the gunman, he said.
Ada Derana reporter said that with the re-commencing of court affairs after lunch today and during the hearing of a case related to a financial fraud before Mt. Lavinia Chief Magistrate Kosala Senadheera, an individual who was within the court premises pulled out a pistol and fired at a defendant who was in the witness stand.
He said that two defendants were in the witness stand at the time and that none of them were injured in the shooting. The shooter then fired into the air and fled the court premises.
Mount Lavinia Police is conducting further investigations into the incident.
The defendant in question had arrived at the court today for the hearing of a case pertaining to an incident of financial fraud while police suspect that the shooting was underworld related.
