The final rites of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne will be held with full police honours this afternoon (20) at the Borella General Cemetery.

Wickramaratne, who served as Sri Lanka's 35th Inspector General of Police, passed away at the age of 63.

He joined the Sri Lanka Police in 1986 and was appointed Acting IGP following the suspension of then IGP Pujith Jayasundara in the aftermath of the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

He was subsequently appointed as the Inspector General of Police on November 27, 2020.

Although he was due to retire on March 25, 2023, his tenure was extended on several occasions by then President Ranil Wickremesinghe until a new IGP was appointed. As a result, he remained in office for nearly eight additional months before retiring on November 23, 2023.

Meanwhile, former IGP Wickramaratne died from a gunshot injury on Friday.

Police suspect that the incident may have been a case of suicide, alleging that he used the firearm issued to his security officer to shoot himself.

An open verdict was returned following the post-mortem examination conducted by the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) at the Colombo East Hospital.

The JMO also ordered that body samples be forwarded to the Government Analyst for further examination.

Investigations are being carried out by the Western Province South Crime Division and the Malabe Police. The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting has also been sent to the Government Analyst for forensic analysis.

As part of the ongoing investigation, statements have been recorded from Wickramaratne's wife and three of his security officers, according to the Western Province South Crime Division.