Body of ex-SriLankan manager found near Independence Sq.

• Police believe he might have committed suicide
• He is reported to have sent a text message to his brother on Thursday

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

The body of a male with gun-shot injuries, found near the Independence Square in Colombo this morning, was identified as that of 63-year-old Rajeewa Prabash Jayaweera.   

Police found a letter and a .22mm pistol hanging on a cord round his neck.   Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a resident of Rajagiriya, was a former manager of SriLankan airlines and a freelance writer. 

Police suspect the man to have shot himself over a family dispute.  They said Mr. Jayaweera had reportedly sent a text message to his brother on Thursday stating that he had written him a personal letter that could be found in a pass-code-protected luggage bag, along with the pass-code to unlock the bag.   The letter said he decided to commit suicide because he didn’t want to be a burden to others, though some of his health issues were surgically operable.   

The deceased’s brother had logged an entry at the Bambalapitiya Police Station upon receiving the message and had failed to locate the body on Thursday night.   

Meanwhile, Colombo Telegraph Editor Uvindu Kurukulasuriya in a social media post said the deceased, who had written to the website, had donated Rs.500,000 to the COVID-19 Fund and Rs.1 million to his servant before committing suicide. He had also bought the pistol for Rs.151,500.   
Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna conducted the magisterial inquiry while the Cinnamon Gardens Police are conducting further investigations.