Van owner killed

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe and Kapila Somaratne

Prasad Indrajit Fernando (35) a wealthy car salesman residing at Dharmapala Mawatha, Wadduwa left home around 10.a.m. on Friday in his Town Hiace to Colombo.

Prior to leaving home, he told his wife Malkanthie Karunaratne that he intends selling his Town Hiace vehicle and needed a valuation report to estimate its value. That was the last time she saw her husband.

Around 4 a.m. on the following day the police found his body inside the vehicle at Susantha Mawatha, Wadduwa. Some persons had tipped off the police after seeing a dead body inside a vehicle.

The Wadduwa police with Police finger print experts have found several finger prints on the vehicle. Police suspect that the victim was strangled to death. However the motive for the killing is still not known and no one have been arrested so far. The victim's Town Hiace van is valued around Rs. two million police said.

The victim's wife Malkanthie Karunaratne identified her husband's body at the Panadura hospital Mortuary. Wadduwa Police is making further investigations.