Daily NEWS Srilanka

During the early hours of last 29th, a performing artiste named Indika Rathnayaka had been murdered

It was a father of two children named Indika Rathnayaka living down Ranawana Road, Pannipitiya who was the victim. He had been maintaining an institute by the name of Shri Events Management and had been living in Dubai and had been coming to Sri Lanka from time to time. His wife and 2 children had lived there. Two days before this killing he had come to Sri Lanka.

On the day of the incident, it was said that he had gone to the restaurant with 2 friends and that he had met the tele-actress who was supposed to have been at the restaurant. Prior to the conflict, the two of them had been talking about a certain issue. It has been revealed at preliminary investigations that a particular person who was among the crowd with the woman concerned had come to where Indika was and had got involved in an argument. It was said that on that occasion the conflict had reached so far as to get involved in fisticuffs.  It has still not been confirmed whether it was the female spoken of or the youth mentioned previously who is responsible for the murder. The police say that they have found signs that there were 4 stab wounds on this artiste's mouth and chest region.

The police who conducted investigations into the murder had been in search of the woman and 2 others. Since they had been missing from the places where they had been living, the police were not able to locate them soon. Later on the police managed to find a clue that they were hiding in a hotel in Hali Ela, Bogahamadiththa area. As such the police surrounded the place and took the suspected woman and the 2 males concerned into their custody. The police said that the woman arrested was a new tele-drama actress as well as a model. In the meantime apart from the involvement concerned, police found that they had been involved in drug-trafficking as well. When the woman was taken into custody, they had found that there was 100 milligrames of heroin in her handbag. The police said that the suspects taken into custody were addicted to drugs and one of them incidentally had been punished by courts on a number of times.

The police who made further inquiries into the deceased Indika Ratnayaka are of the suspicion whether he had some involvement in an illegal racket with this woman. The reason for the killing, could have been some conflict arising from such a transaction, it was said. It was also revealed that the victim Indika Ratnayaka was a person who was nabbed by the police in the year 2013 for having counterfeit Rs. 1000 cash notes under section 13 in his possession which he wanted to change near Maharagama Post Office.