Businessman Lalith Kotalawala's death last year (2023) has been determined as a sudden death due to a cardiac arrest, commonly known as a heart attack by Colombo Additional Magistrate.

Following this verdict, the Magistrate issued an order for the court registrar to hand over Kotalawala's death certificate to his relatives. 

The decision came after an investigation, considering the autopsy report, the Government analyst’s report, and witness testimonies provided by the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) on 22 May.

The case was initiated based on a complaint filed by Kotalawala's sister-in-law Sherin Wijeratne, to the Bambalapitiya police, alleging suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.