Sri Lankan Lawyer with Criminal Links Shot Dead: Are Lawyers’ Underworld Dealings Becoming a Business? Why the Bar Association Must Be Ashamed
Two people were killed today in a shooting that took place inside the car park of a luxury supermarket in the Akuregoda area of Thalangama.
The victims were a man and a woman who were inside a vehicle at the time of the attack. Both died at the scene after being shot.
Police suspect that a T-56 automatic rifle was used in the murder. At the time of the shooting, the couple were seated inside their vehicle and were killed instantly.
The identities of the victims and the motive for the shooting were initially unknown. Thalangama Police have launched investigations to trace the suspects and uncover further details.
Later, police confirmed that the victims were a lawyer and his wife, who were shot dead this afternoon (13th) in front of the supermarket in Akuregoda, Thalangama.
According to police, the lawyer had represented a criminal known as “Karandeniya Sudda” in court cases.
Security authorities suspect that the murder was orchestrated by Karandeniya Sudda himself, after the lawyer allegedly passed confidential information about his client to another criminal known as “Loku Pati.”
The shooting occurred around 5:00 p.m., targeting the couple who were seated inside a parked jeep near the supermarket.
A group of assailants arrived in a vehicle and opened fire using a T-56 rifle, discharging around ten rounds before fleeing the scene, police said.
The husband and wife inside the vehicle died on the spot.
The victims were identified as a lawyer from Pitigala and his wife.
Three teams from Thalangama Police, along with several other police units, are conducting investigations into the incident.
Police further stated that with this shooting, a total of seven people have been killed and four injured in seven separate shooting incidents reported so far this year.
Serious Questions for the Legal Profession
This killing raises serious concerns about the growing links between certain lawyers and organised criminals.
Is underworld collaboration becoming a regular “business model” for some members of the legal profession?
Why should the Bar Association not be ashamed of members who engage in unethical and illegal dealings?
Why are some lawyers choosing to protect criminals for money, rather than uphold professional ethics, integrity, and moral responsibility?
When legal professionals become intermediaries between rival gangs, betray client confidentiality, and engage in criminal networks, they do not merely violate professional rules—they undermine public trust in the entire justice system.
This tragedy is not only a crime story. It is a warning about the dangerous erosion of ethics within parts of Sri Lanka’s legal profession.