Seamstress shot dead

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: A dress making woman (48) was shot dead by an unidentified man at Manning Place, Wellawatte on Wednesday night, Wellawatte police OIC crime CI Deepthi Wijewickrama said.

According to the CI Wijewickrama the victim was identified as Thambipillai Atputharani and was a resident of Kirulapone. She had moved to Colombo from Mattuvil in 1997 with her son Nagendran Rinas (20). They lived in Kirulapone and rented a shop to make dresses and sell them at Manning Place, Wellawatte.

"On Wednesday, Atputharani and her son Rinas closed the shop and walked to the bus stop close to their shop.

They had seen a red motor bicycle stopped nearby. Suddenly a man in a white T.Shirt wearing a helmet approached them and shot Atputharani and fled on his motorcycle," CI Wijewickrama said.

Police said Rinas could not identify the number plate and the killer's face was not visible as he was wearing a helmet.

The victim succumbed to her injuries on admission to Kalubowila hospital.