• The shooting was a contract killing and a result of a clash  between two rival groups carrying on the contraband trade of drug  peddling

By K.S. Fernando, Kusal Chamath and H.M. Dharmapala 

Police  investigations are underway in connection with the shooting that took  place at Pallimulla in Panaduwa on January 25 and to ascertain whether  it was a mis-identification shooting over a contract.

Police suspect  that the shooting was a contract killing and a result of a clash  between two rival groups carrying on the contraband trade of drug  peddling in Moratuwa and Ratmalana areas.
It is suspected that the gunmen had shot dead an innocent fish seller instead due to mistaken identity.
Investigations  revealed that the shooters had rented out a house  a week before the  shooting. The police arrested the owner of the house following the  incident.

He said the Mount Lavinia Division Crime Investigation  Unit had recovered a T56 rifle and 16 live cartridges allegedly used by  the gunman. 

Panadura North police earlier had arrested several suspects who provided vital information on the killing. 
However the gunman and his accomplice were yet to be arrested. Meanwhile, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that special police teams have been deployed to arrest the shooters. OIC  Mount Lavinia Crime Investigation Unit CI Pushpakumara Ferdinando, SI  Neil Priyantha, SI Asela Prasad Seneviratne, are conducting further  investigations on the instructions of HQI Dileepa C. Perera, SP Samantha  Wedage and SSP Rohan Premaratne.

• The gunmen had shot dead an innocent fish seller instead due to mistaken identity