Police detains suspect for further question

Tuesday, 4 February 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The main suspect arrested over the murder of journalist Mel Gunasekera, has been detained by the police for further questioning. The suspect was produced in court yesterday and a detention order was sought to question him further. Accordingly the Kaduwela Magistrate granted the police a 48 hour detention order to question the suspect over the murder. The police on Sunday arrested the suspect over the murder of the former AFP journalist and had also recovered her mobile phone. The suspect had been working at Gunasekera’s house as a painter and visited the house often. The suspect had been arrested in Dompe following investigations launched over the murder on Sunday. The suspect had gone to the house thinking that as usual, as on any other Sunday, the entire family including the journalist, would have gone to church. However when he broke into the house he was confronted by Gunasekera and since she could identify him he took a knife and killed her, the police said.

The former Agence France Press (AFP) journalist was found by her parents murdered at her house in Battaramulla when they returned home from church. The police said the suspect had broken through the window and entered the house while she was asleep. Gunasekera was attached to Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd at the time of her death. (Colombo Gazette)