News
Police launch manhunt for suspect software engineer after finding body of girlfriend in abandoned car
Police have launched a manhunt for a software engineer suspected of abandoning the body of his girlfriend inside a parked car near Teldeniya Hospital.
The deceased was identified as Shamya Darshani, 34, a physiotherapist attached to the Ampara District General Hospital.
Police said that the suspect, a resident of Gannoruwa, Kandy, had allegedly transported the woman’s body in a vehicle, left it parked near the hospital and fled. Police have appealed to the public for information leading to his arrest.
The investigation began after the victim’s brother, a resident of Kota Wewa, Thalawa, lodged a complaint with the Nuwara Eliya Police, on June 17, reporting that his sister, who had been staying at an apartment complex in Nuwara Eliya, had informed him that she had not eaten for several days.
Acting on the complaint, police searched the apartment but found it vacant. However, CCTV footage reportedly showed the suspect arriving at the apartment around 9.50 p.m., on June 16, and remaining there for about 40 minutes. The footage later showed him carrying the unconscious woman from the premises, at about 10.30 p.m. before driving away.
While Nuwara Eliya Police were investigating the disappearance, the Officer-in-Charge of Teldeniya Police received an anonymous telephone call stating that a woman’s body was inside a car, parked near the Teldeniya Hospital.
Police officers who inspected the locked vehicle found the body lying on the front passenger seat, covered with a black cloth. The vehicle was subsequently opened and the body recovered.
Further inquiries confirmed that the deceased was the woman reported missing from Nuwara Eliya.
Police investigations have revealed that the victim and the suspect had been in a relationship for about eight months. Investigators suspect that the woman had borrowed nearly Rs. 15 million from a bank and several individuals and handed the money to the suspect with plans to migrate to Canada together.
According to police, the victim had been under severe mental stress after creditors demanded repayment and the planned migration failed to materialise. She had reportedly moved into the Nuwara Eliya apartment on June 3.
Investigators said she had informed her brother that she had not eaten for three days and had also contacted a psychiatrist at the Ampara District General Hospital seeking assistance for mental distress. She had been advised to seek immediate treatment at the nearest hospital.
Her mobile phone had reportedly been switched off after 4 p.m. on June 16, prompting her brother to lodge a complaint with police.
Police also revealed that the vehicle used to transport the body belongs to another woman from the Ampara area who is also alleged to have been in a relationship with the suspect.
An open verdict was returned following the post-mortem examination, with authorities stating that the exact cause and manner of death have yet to be determined.
Further investigations are being conducted under the direct supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Nuwara Eliya Division.
by Norman Palihawadane and S.K. Samaranayake
The Sri Lanka Navy rescued a fisherman from a local fishing trawler that encountered distress due to adverse weather conditions off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
The rescue operation took place on 17 July 2026, approximately 15 nautical miles off Pothuvil. The operation was launched following information received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo.
In response, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Vijayabahu along with additional craft to conduct a search operation in the designated sea area, where they successfully located the distressed fisherman.
Following the rescue, the individual was brought aboard SLNS Vijayabahu, where naval personnel administered preliminary first aid. He was subsequently brought to the mainland and rushed for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Navy, along with the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to swiftly respond to the eventualities faced by maritime and fishing communities operating within the island’s Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
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Showers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts
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