COLOMBO (NewsRadio); The 14 persons who were arrested over the death of a youth in Dehiwela last night have been remanded until the 23rd of May.
The order was issued by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.
A total of 14 persons were arrested yesterday in relation to the death of an individual who was allegedly assaulted at an air conditioning repair service centre along the Hospital Road in Dehiwela.
The Police Media Division said the group is accused of being part of an illegal assembly, committing a murder and injuring another.
The suspects, aged between 19 and 33 are residents of Kinniya, Nilaveli, Avissawella, Kalutara, Bandaragama, Galle, Beruwala, Kantale, Hatton and Ruwanwella.
Police said a lorry, a van and a three-wheeler have also been taken into custody over the incident.
The Police Media Division said the suspects had claimed that two individuals who had allegedly entered the repair service centre in Dehiwala, beaten, restrained and detained while attempting to escape.
Subsequently, the suspects had brought the two individuals who were critically injured to the Police station in a lorry.
Police officers had then rushed the two injured individuals to the hospital.
One of the individuals had succumbed to his injuries upon admission to the hospital.
The deceased was identified as a 27-year-old resident of Badowita.
The other person receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital has been identified as a 28-year-old resident of Dehiwala.
Police said during investigations they have uncovered that the deceased individual had been walking on the road, when he was dragged into the repair service centre, beaten and detained by the group suspecting that the victim had entered the service centre.
Police added that the suspects had forced the victim to call the individual who was with him before and return to the service centre. Once he had arrived at the scene, the suspects had assaulted and detained him.
According to Police, suspects had thoroughly cleaned the scene of crime and taken the two critically injured persons to the Police station.
The Mount Lavinia Divisional Criminal Investigation officers have launched investigations.
Police noted that another two suspects are still at large and an investigation is underway to apprehend them.
