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Estate owner shot dead

by Sarath Malalasekera

Multi-Millionaire businessman and estate owner Vaithalingam Niranjan, a cousin of Minister Armugan Thondaman, was shot dead opposite a hotel in Kollupitiya on Wednesday night, the Kollupitiya police said yesterday.

Police have taken into custody another leading businessman in connection with the killing. A .38 bullet fired from a pistol was recovered from the victim's skull at the post-mortem.

The CID has already taken over the investigation into the killing on the direction of IGP Lucky Kodituwakku. Investigations directed by Colombo DIG Bodhi Liyanage and conducted by Senior SP Deepal Herath revealed that Niranjan had come to Colombo from his Ramboda estate with his driver on Wednesday for business.

ASP J.R.Jayawardena who is assisting in the investigations said that Niranjan had been shot by an unknown gunman while he was sipping a lime juice in his vehicle. Investigators are trying to ascertain whether this is a contract killing over a business issue.

Investigations also revealed that they have stopped the vehicle near a hotel in Kollupitiya junction for the driver to have his dinner.

Earlier Niranjan had on a number of occasions complained to the police that he had received several death threats from an owner of another estate in Pundalu Oya. Chief Inspector Palitha Panamaldeniya, OIC, Kollupitiya with Inspector Duminda Silva, OIC, CDB are also assisting in the investigations.

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