Maradana Police have commenced an investigation into the death of a suspect arrested by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the injury of a police officer. 

On 10 January, the PNB arrested a suspect in possession of nearly 15 grams of heroin near the National Vocational Training Institute in Narahenpita, who later revealed that he had obtained the drugs from a resident of Maradana. 

The arrestee, identified as Samantha Preethi Kumara, a 42-year-old resident of Hikkaduwa, had asked the officers who had arrested him for some water while being transported to the Maradana Police Station, and had subsequently broken the glass bottle, and injured a police constable accompanying him, the Police Media Unit reported. 

Both the suspect and the injured officer were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, where the arrestee was later pronounced dead. 

The deceased was also reportedly a close associate of underworld figure ‘Podi Lassi’, according to police. 

The postmortem was conducted last evening, while the Maradana Police has also commenced a special investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the mother of the deceased claimed that her son did not abuse narcotics of any kind, adding that she suspected foul-play by the Police.