• Reports said that Mendis had close ties with Rathgama Vidura

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  
In the wake of the shooting incident involving father-in-law of State Minister D.V. Chanaka, Lalith Wasantha Mendis, a 61-year-old businessman who owned a textile shop in Galle city, investigators are grappling with the formidable challenge of identifying the perpetrators responsible for the shooting.   
Despite their efforts, a breakthrough remains elusive.  
The incident took place when Mendis was traveling in a car along Dickson Road in Galle last Saturday, where he was fatally shot at by unidentified gunmen. The assailants ambushed the businessman as he was on his way home.  Senior police officers in the Southern Province said that, despite an exhaustive review of CCTV footage, investigators have been unable to pinpoint any concrete leads thus far.   

As the investigation into the shooting continues to unfold, there is a growing interest in the possibility of a connection to the criminal underworld. Police sources said that they are carefully examining this angle.  
Police also suspect that the businessman may have fallen victim to an ongoing power struggle between notorious underworld criminals Kosgoda Sujee and Rathgama Vidura, both of whom are said to be operating from Dubai.   
Reports said that Mendis had close ties with Rathgama Vidura, adding fuel to suspicions that the criminal underworld may have played a role in his demise. Police are also considering the possibility that Kosgoda Sujee’s gang may be responsible for the attack.  

Earlier, police have disclosed that the suspects fired approximately 25 shots at Mendis. It is suspected that the opposing gang harboured a deep-seated animosity towards him, potentially leading to this brutal attack.  
While nearby CCTV footage captures two masked gunmen chasing Mendis’s car from the vicinity of his textile shop, a senior officer said that the location where the shooting took place is relatively deserted, with no surveillance cameras in the vicinity. This lack of video evidence has hindered progress in the case, sources said.  
In the meantime, police are awaiting  reports of evidence collected from the crime scene which has been sent to the government analysts for examination.