Brother of Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala dies in road accident

By Nandana Kalegama - Polpithigama 

Public Security Ananda Wijepala’s brother Kurukulasuriya Mudiyanselage Piyasena died after being admitted to the Galgamuwa Base Hospital with injuries following a road accident in the early hours of yesterday (15), the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Kurukulasuriya Mudiyanselage Piyasena, a 66-year-old retired war veteran and father of four, who was a resident of the Sangattaewa area in the Mahailuppallama Police Division.

P. H. S. Ranawera, Inquirer into Sudden Deaths of Galgamuwa, stated that the deceased had attended a function at the house of a brother living in the Palu Siyambalewa area of Galgamuwa on the 14th and had stayed overnight at that house. 

On the following day (15), at around 5.50 a.m., while leaving the house and turning onto the Anuradhapura–Padeniyaya main road to return home, he met with an accident.

The accident occurred when the vehicle he was travelling in collided with a lorry that had been parked on the roadside, approximately 60–70 metres from the house where he had stayed.

During the death inquest into the death held yesterday morning (15) at the Galgamuwa Base Hospital, it had been revealed that the deceased was one of the brothers of Minister Ananda Wijepala, who comes from a family of seven siblings, and that he died prematurely while travelling after celebrating the family event.

A large number of people gathered at the hospital premises as soon as the incident became known. 

The driver of the lorry that had been parked on the roadside has been arrested on suspicion and is scheduled to be produced before the Galgamuwa Magistrate’s Court today (16).

Further investigations are being carried out by the Galgamuwa Police.