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Killing of businessman: CID questions several businessmen

by Sarath Malalasekera

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday questioned and recorded statements from several Colombo businessmen in connection with the killing of Multi-Millionaire businessman and estate owner Vaithalingam Niranjan, a cousin of Minister Arumugan Thondaman.

Earlier the CID recorded statements from several persons in Colombo including employees of the hotel where the shooting took place, in connection with the killing.

On Friday the CID produced Thangaiya Satahsivam Pushpara of Rahjasinghe Road, Wellawatte before the Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Priyantha Fernando who remanded him till August 14.

Investigations revealed that the suspect now in remand custody is alleged to have supplied several items of contraband to the operational areas earlier.

Niranjan was shot dead opposite a hotel in Kollupitiya on Wednesday night by an unknown gunman. A .38 bullet fired from a pistol was recovered from the victim's skull at the postmortem.

The CID who took over the investigation into the killing on the direction of IGP Lucky Kodituwakku told the Judge that their investigations revealed that the deceased had made a complaint to the Pundolu Oya Police on July 29 that he had received a number of death threats from a another estate owner in the Nuwara-Eliya district.

The CID also said that a share transaction case in connection with ten thousand acres in Ramboda between the deceased and the suspect is pending before the Colombo District Court.

Earlier investigations directed by Colombo DIG Bodhi Liyanage and conducted by Senior SP Deepal Herath and ASP J.R. Jayawardena revealed that Niranjan had come to Colombo from his Ramboda estate with his driver on Wednesday for business purpose.

A team of CID officers conducting investigations assisted by Chief Inspector Palitha Panamaldeniya, OIC, Kollupitiya and Inspector Duminda Silva, OIC, CDB Kollupitiya.

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