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29-year-old behind death of Kalutara schoolgirl!

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A 29-year-old man, who allegedly went to a hotel room in Kalutara, stripped a 16-year-old girl befriended through TikTok and pushed her down from the third floor, police said.

The Kalutara South Police said the suspect, who seizes vehicles with defaulted insurance payments, is a married man.

The victim was identified as a 11th grade student of a girls’ college in Kalutara. She was a resident near the Nagoda Hospital in Kalutara.

Police said the student had gotten to know the suspect through TikTok two days before and he had invited her to come to a hotel.

The girl and the suspect had arrived at the hotel located on Kalutara – Galle Road on May 6th at around 6 pm.

Since she was a minor, she had used the national identity card of a 20-year-old girl living next to her house to go to the hotel room.

A hotel employee told the police that another 19-year-old girl with her 22-year-old boyfriend had booked the adjacent air-conditioned room and all four of them consumed a bottle of Johnnie Walker red label type whiskey in one room.

After having drinks, the second couple had gone back to the adjoining room and had stayed there for a while before leaving.

Afterwards, the suspect had left the hotel in a hurry.

A person who came to the hotel to have food had informed the hotel staff that a naked body of a woman was lying on the railway track and then the staff had informed the 119 emergency hotline.

Officers of the Kalutara South Police had arrived at the location with a Suwa Seriya ambulance to find that the girl had passed away.

According to the investigations conducted by the Kalutara South Police under the instructions of OIC Chief Inspector Ruwan Wijesinghe, the 19-year-old girl and her 22-year-old boyfriend and the wife of the 29-year-old man who had a relationship with the victim were taken into police custody.

The wife of the suspect has said that she was not aware that her husband had such a relationship.

She told the police that her husband asked for Rs.2,000 and left the house the day before yesterday.

However, a senior police officer said that the young couple had moved the victim’s body away from the railway track and then surrendered to the police an hour later.

Police said that they have received information that the suspect who allegedly committed the murder had fled in a white coloured car and investigations are being conducted to arrest him.

It has also been revealed that the deceased girl is the daughter of a sister of a local politician in Kalutara.

Source – Aruna

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Let’s build a nation rooted in historical heritage (Pics)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that a society cannot progress without a meaningful connection to its historic heritage and that the nation’s development path must be chosen accordingly.

The President made these remarks while addressing a ceremonial gathering yesterday (July 10) afternoon at the historic Ruhunu Kataragama sacred site.  

Earlier in the day, President Dissanayake visited the sacred grounds of Kataragama, participated in religious observances and later paid a courtesy call on the Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Nayaka Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the historic Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya, inquiring about his well-being and engaging in a brief discussion.

The President also attended the final Randoli Maha Perahera (Golden Chariot Grand Procession) of the annual Esala Festival at the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, where he witnessed the ceremonial placement of the sacred relic casket upon the relic bearing tusker.  

Addressing the gathering, President Dissanayake further emphasised that a nation can only move forward by maintaining continuity with its historic heritage. He noted that every developed country in the world has achieved progress by preserving its historical legacy and building upon it, stressing that Sri Lanka, too, must choose a development path anchored in its heritage.

The President highlighted that Buddhism played a pivotal role in transforming our society into a cultured civilisation and that cultural festivals like this help revive and strengthen the moral and social values of a society often preoccupied with material pursuits.  

He pointed out that the Ruhunu Kataragama Perahera has been held continuously for 2,186 years, spanning nearly a hundred generations and that its survival has been possible due to the deep connection between this cultural ceremony and the lives of the people. The President extended his gratitude to all those, including the Chief Incumbent, who contributed to the success of this year’s procession.  

Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, R.M. Jayawardena, Governor of the Uva Province, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Member of Parliament Ruwan Wijeweera, Chairman of the Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha, Dharmapala Herath and Monaragala District Secretary Pasan Ratnayake.

(President’s Media Division)

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Charges against Keheliya & others postponed

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The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has postponed the formal serving of charges against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 12 others to Sep. 16, citing delays in the printing of annexures required to accompany the chargesheets.

Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, appearing for the prosecution, informed the court that while the chargesheets had already been filed, the annexures had not yet been submitted due to printing delays. She noted that it would cost approximately Rs. 866,565 to print the annexures for each accused and that the documents for all twelve defendants are yet to be prepared.

The Government Printer has indicated that it would take about 21 days to complete the printing. Therefore, the prosecution requested the court to reschedule the case accordingly. The court granted the request and fixed the next hearing for Sep. 16.

The Attorney General has filed 13 charges against the accused, including allegations of conspiring to fraudulently misappropriate Rs. 1.444 billion in public funds by supplying 6,195 vials of human immunoglobulin and non-pharmaceutical substances such as Ritopsimap to the Ministry of Health’s Medical Supplies Division.

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UK’s relaxed trade rules to boost SL exports

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The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries like Sri Lanka after upgrades to the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

The changes, announced as part of the UK’s wider Trade for Development offer, aim to support economic growth in partner countries, including Sri Lanka, while helping UK businesses and consumers access high-quality, affordable goods.

New measures include simplifying rules of origin, enabling more goods from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines can enter the UK tariff-free, even when using components from across Asia and Africa.

These changes are expected to be in place by early 2026.

This move strengthens Sri Lanka’s position in its second-largest apparel market, supporting exports, jobs, and economic growth.

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick, said: “This is a win for the Sri Lankan garment sector, and for UK consumers. With the UK being the second largest export market and garments making up over 60% of that trade, we know manufacturers here will welcome this announcement.

“We want Sri Lanka to improve the utilisation of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme for a wider range of goods, not just garments. With the Sri Lankan government’s ambition to grow exports, and with the simplification of rules of origin for other sectors too, we strongly encourage more exporters to explore how they can benefit from the preferences offered by the DCTS. The UK remains committed to working towards creating shared prosperity for both our countries.”

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