Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday said that the two suspects in the killing of his advisor have been arrested in India with the help of authorities there.
In a meeting with editors, Rajapaksa said the suspects, wanted in the murder of his trade union affairs advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, have been arrested following cooperation received from the Indian government.
They will be brought to Colombo later today, he said, without elaborating when and where in India they were arrested.
Information Minister and the government spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, said the two would be arriving back in Colombo this afternoon.
Premachandra was gunned down on Saturday during a shootout with a ruling coalition parliamentarian Duminda Silva.
Silva is still lying critical with gunshot injuries. The murder shocked the ruling party and marred celebrations of their victory in the local council election.
The ruling coalition bagged 22 of the 23 councils on offer. Rajapaksa said that he had ordered a special operation to nab all illegal weapons used by people connected to VIPs.
At least six people have been arrested in connection with the murder including a policeman who was serving in the staff of Silva. He was ordered to be remanded till October 18. Premachandra's driver told the magisterial inquiry held yesterday that the policeman fired at Premachandra following orders from Silva.
The MP himself fired at Premachandra prior to that. Premachandra and Silva have been embroiled in a long standing feud over the position of electoral organiser for the ruling coalition at the northern Colombo’s populous suburb of Kolonnawa.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, October 13, 2011, 15:39