Shooting drama at Maradana

Two gunmen opened fire on three members of a rival gang, injuring one of them seriously, at Jayantha Weerasekera Mawatha in Maradana yesterday.

Eye witnesses told police that two gunmen riding a motorcycle had chased down the underworld trio travelling in a three wheeler and shot at them with a T-56 assault rifle around 9.45 am before fleeing.

The condition of one of the three injured in the shooting was critical, police said.

Police yesterday’s shooting incident was due to a longstanding dispute between two rival underworld groups.

The critically injured person had been identified as Botheju. He was on his way to courts, where a murder case was scheduled to be taken up against him yesterday, police said.

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All three injured are residents of the Sahashrapura in Borella. They came in a three wheeler along the Baseline Road and turned to the Jayantha Weerasekera Mawatha to reach Maradana to proceed to Colombo Fort.

Investigations have revealed that one of the injured is wanted for killing another underworld character sometimes back at Keselwatte in Colombo.

No arrests had been made at the time of going to press.

Maradana police are conducting further investigations under supervision of OIC Crimes Wasantha Perera on the instructions of Maradana OIC Sarath Perera.