Underground kingpin Udammita Samare ... shot on the head and dies

As a result of a shooting incident which took place last night around 10.55 in Veyangoda town, 'Udammita Samare' a leader of an underworld gang died while another was seriously wounded.

The shooting was done when Udammita Samare together with his colleagues had been travelling in a luxury vehicle close to the bridge across Elle Oya on the road running towards Nittambuwa

from Veyangoda by a gang who had pursued them on motor cycles. Several bullet marks were detected on the glass near the driving seat of the said vehicle and Samare who was driving the car had fallen a victim to the barrage of fire and had succumbed to death on the spot while the other person who sustained injuries of a serious manner was admitted to Colombo National Hospital, it was reported. However, the other two who were travelling in the back seat had escaped without injury.

After facing gun-shots the car had struck the pavement on the middle of the bridge and had travelled about another 50 meters and then come to a halt after striking a post having swerved from the road. There is evidence to say that the assailants had come on motor cycles.

Deceased Udammita Samare is the chief suspect in the incident where the Chairman Suranga Peris of the Nittambuwa Trading Association was assassinated and his true name is Samaradivakara Rajapaksha Mohotti Appuhamilage Janaka Samantha Kumara Samaradivakara, it has been noted. He has created a sensation over the fact that he was a notorious character who was responsible for a host of underworld crimes in the area and it is the opinion of people in the area that he had transformed Attanagalla and Nittambuwa areas into a 'small Jaffna'. It is also understood that his slogan had been 'no wife ... and no children'. He is also notorious as someone who had close relationships with the politician Sarana Gunawardena too. Veyangoda Police undertook investigations over the incident.

Pix -- Kelum Champika