Hitmen miss underworld target in Weligama

By Norman Palihawadane

Police are conducting investigations to trace the whereabouts of two persons involved in a shooting incident reported near the Batawala Pathegama Model Primary School in Weligama, yesterday morning.

They arrived on a motorcycle and targeted a resident of Midigama, Weligama, but failed to hit him in the rush. The targeted person has been identified as Sudesh Madhusanka, 30, a resident of Pitiduwa Road in Midigama.

He had brought his two children to the Pathegama Model Primary School in Batawala yesterday morning when the gunmen opened fire at him before fleeing.

However, no casualties were reported from the shooting incident. Police said Madhusanka had been in police custody for various offences. He was a member of the criminal gang of Nandun Chintaka alias ‘Harak Kata’. He had been arrested in connection with shooting a person at Turkish Village, Midigama, on January 20, 2022, and was out on bail.

Police suspect that the shooting may have been carried out using a pistol while police had also recovered a single empty bullet casing from the road where the shooting had taken place.

Several police teams and the police commandos are conducting further investigations regarding the incident.