Businessman has narrow escape

By T. K. G. Kapila

A leading businessman in Devamottawa in Andiambalama had a narrow escape from being gunned down last morning. The 37-year-old businessman was a leading personality of the area.   
The attempt of two gunmen riding on motorcycle to kill him failed and one of them with a revolver and ammunition was arrested by the police.   
The two gunmen had entered the house at about 10.30 am yesterday under the pretext of obtaining a loan by mortgaging the registration book of a vehicle. However, when the behaviour of one of them aroused suspicion, the businessman had locked the gate with the remote control, not allowing them to flee.
When one of them attempted to shoot the businessman, the revolver had failed, and he had jumped over the nine feet tall garden wall and fled from the scene. The attempt of the other gunman to jump over the garden wall resulted in a fracture in a lower limb.   
Katunayake Police that rushed to the scene on information from the businessman had arrested the gunmen lying near the garden wall and seized his revolver with five rounds of ammunition. Investigations revealed that the 33-year-old suspect was a resident of Ampara area.   
He was admitted to Negombo General Hospital by the police. Police had received information that the other suspect was a resident of Negombo.   
A police team under OIC Crime Investigation Division SI Daham Marasinghe is conducting further investigation to arrest the absconding suspect.