An individual wanted in connection with the murder of a 78-year-old man in the Koralaima - Kiriwaththuduwa area has been arrested by the Kahathuduwa Police.

The suspect was arrested while hiding near the Kindelpitiya Bridge in Kesbewa, following information received by the Crime Investigation Division of the Kahathuduwa Police.

The deceased has been identified as a 78-year-old resident of Koralaima, Kiriwaththuduwa.

Police said he was allegedly assaulted using an iron bar and killed on August 08, 2026.

Investigations have revealed that the suspect, a resident of Kiriwaththuduwa, had been using narcotics with the victim’s 17-year-old grandson for some time.

According to police, the suspect was irritated after the teenager refused to join him to take narcotics on the day of the incident. He had allegedly gone to the teenager’s house and assaulted him with an iron bar. When the teenager’s grandfather intervened to rescue him, the suspect allegedly had assaulted the elderly individual with the same iron bar.

The suspect then fled the area, walking through Horana to Ratnapura. He reportedly had reached Pelmadulla the following afternoon before travelling by bus to Embilipitiya, where he stayed at the house of an acquaintance.

Investigations further revealed that the suspect had travelled by bus to Colombo at around 1:10 a.m. on August 21 and later proceeded to Boralesgamuwa. He had reportedly been hiding near the Kindelpitiya Bridge in Kesbewa with the intention of fleeing the area.

The suspect was subsequently arrested during an operation carried out based on information provided by a private informant to Officer-in-Charge of the Crime Investigation Division of the Kahathuduwa Police, Police Inspector Saman Gamage.

Police said the suspect is heavily addicted to drugs and had also been involved in selling cannabis in the area.

After being produced before the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court, the suspect was remanded until September 3.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Kahathuduwa Police.