• No arrests made despite lapse of over 30 hours
• Legal fraternity critiques Police over organised crime link claims
• 12 Police teams deployed in multi-agency manhunt

The Police has yet to identify any suspects or confirm a single arrest in the brutal double assassination of an Attorney-at-Law and his wife in Akuregoda on Friday (13), The Sunday Morning reliably learns. 

The brutal murders have sent a shockwave through the legal fraternity and reminded the nation that its ongoing struggle against organised crime and gun violence remains unresolved.

The shooting took place on Friday evening near a supermarket in Akuregoda, in close proximity to several military installations and Government headquarters. However, as of yesterday evening, the Department of Police had released no concrete information on progress made in the investigation. 

Responding to questions from The Sunday Morning, Police Spokesperson ASP F.U. Wootler suggested that the killings may have resulted from a clash between parties but declined to confirm whether any arrests had been made. 

“We must be very careful, as there is much work to be done. Therefore, I cannot speak of arrests at this time. However, we are hopeful that we will provide positive results soon,” Wootler told The Sunday Morning. 

While Akuregoda is commonly regarded by the public as a High Security Zone (HSZ), the Police maintains that no such classifications currently exist. “Since the conclusion of the war, we have lived in peacetime, and there are currently no HSZs in Sri Lanka,” Wootler added.

The Police yesterday (14) appealed to the public to help identify two suspects. Investigations indicate the suspects fled through several areas after the shooting and were travelling in a car with registration number EP KI-7738. Authorities have asked motorists to check dashcam footage from the evening of 13 February and urged anyone with information to contact the Police, assuring strict confidentiality.

Members of the public who possess relevant footage or information have been urged to contact the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Western Province South, on 071 8598008, or the Director of the Western Province South Crime Division on 071 8592279.  

However, the nature of the disclosures made by the Police regarding the lawyer’s past representation of controversial suspects has also drawn criticism, with widely shared social media posts – particularly among members of the legal fraternity – questioning the basis on which such claims were made in the absence of verified evidence.

In the meantime, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Colombo Law Society (CLS) have issued strong condemnations of the attack. In a statement issued on Friday (13), the BASL described the attack as a grave threat to the rule of law. 

The BASL noted: “The BASL strongly urges the Police to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation into this incident, apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure that they are brought before the law without delay. The BASL further urges that concrete and positive steps be taken by the law enforcement authorities to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.” 

The CLS expressed similar outrage but also criticised media narratives that have attempted to link the victim to his professional representation of underworld figures. 

The CLS condemned attempts to justify the killing based on the lawyer’s client list. 

The statement noted that representing a client, regardless of their background, is a professional duty and should not be interpreted as complicity in criminal activity. 

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told The Sunday Morning that 12 special Police teams had been deployed to investigate the Akuregoda incident. 

According to him, the teams include personnel from the Special Task Force (STF), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Special Branch, the Colombo Crime Division (CCD), and two dedicated units from the Southern Province. 

“We have never deployed 12 Police teams from all departments simultaneously before and this situation is a problem for us as well. We are investigating based on available information. A large number of teams, including the STF, CID, Special Branch, and two teams from the Southern Province and Colombo are fully engaged in the investigation. We are actively trying to find information regarding the motive for the murder.” 

Preliminary investigations have relied heavily on technological evidence, including CCTV footage tracking the assailants’ vehicle. 

“Authorities have traced the licence plate of a vehicle suspected to have been used in the attack to an owner in Addalaichenai who claims to have sold the vehicle prior to the incident,” Wijepala said.

He further confirmed that teams were currently verifying this chain of ownership and analysing the vehicle’s movements before and after the crime.

Commenting on the lawyer’s representation of underworld figures, the Minister said: “We cannot claim that a lawyer lacks the right to represent anyone. We are not prepared to interpret professional representation as a connection to the underworld. A proper investigation must be conducted.” 

The Minister highlighted that while the public often only saw the failures, intelligence agencies had successfully prevented numerous similar attacks through prior information and raids. He emphasised that the Government was focused on strengthening intelligence networks and technical capabilities rather than resorting to extrajudicial violence. 

“We have the capacity to suppress it, but while many demand an immediate solution, that is not the only answer. We have taken steps to strengthen our intelligence units through training and the use of technical tools to prevent incidents via prior intelligence. Since this incident, we have already held our fourth combined departmental discussion of the year,” Wijepala said.

Meanwhile, the BASL has called an emergency general meeting of all its members today (15), the first such gathering in 14 years, in response to growing concern within the legal community over security and the rule of law. The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the association’s headquarters.