“I told Kapila that he should surrender to court”: PC Arsekularatne tells court

President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne, Attorney Udara Muhandirum, and the Officer-in-Charge of Kollupitiya Police Station, Chief Inspector Lalith Kumarasiri Bandara — gave evidence before the court today.

Testimony from witnesses 25 and 26 was postponed to the next hearing date.

Investigations related to the case were led by Sub-Inspector Jayanta Lal of the Colombo Crimes Division.

During testimony, witness number 20, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne, told court that he had no knowledge regarding the death of Kapila Chandrasena.

When questioned by police, he confirmed that he had previously represented Kapila Chandrasena in a case filed by the Bribery Commission at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Colombo, although he could not recall the exact case number.

He also stated that Kapila Chandrasena was granted bail in that case on May 5, 2026, with conditions including three surety bails of Rs. 10 million each, a Rs. 500,000 cash bail, and an overseas travel ban. The Magistrate had also ordered that guarantors must provide Grama Niladhari certificates.

The witness said he had requested the court to grant interim bail until the certificates were produced, but the request was not accepted.

He further stated that after bail was granted, he met the accused at the holding cell area to explain the bail conditions and instructed junior counsel Udara Muhandirum to proceed with related matters.

However, he later learned that bail had been rejected the following day. He added that he advised the accused to appear before court after learning that a warrant had been issued.

He also stated that he was contacted by Aravinda de Silva regarding the matter and instructed him to visit his office for further discussion.

According to his testimony, several individuals, including Aravinda de Silva’s wife and alleged sureties, later arrived at his office, but some of the guarantor documentation was insufficient or invalid.

Witness number 19, Attorney Udara Muhandirum, testified that he acted under the instructions of the President’s Counsel in relation to the bail application of Kapila Chandrasena in the Bribery Commission case.

He confirmed that the accused had been ordered to provide three surety bails of Rs. 10 million each, a Rs. 500,000 cash bail, and a foreign travel ban, along with Grama Niladhari certificates for sureties.

He stated that he had met the accused in a remand cell and explained the bail conditions. He also said that attempts to furnish proper guarantors failed as required documentation was missing.

He added that although additional guarantors later came forward, only one was accepted due to issues with the validity of documents.

Kollupitiya Police Chief Inspector Lalith Kumarasiri Bandara Silogama told court that police received a telephone call reporting that a person had been found hanging at a residence.

He further stated that the call was followed by information from Aravinda de Silva via his personal mobile phone.

Police officers proceeded to the location at around 8:42 a.m. and conducted an inspection.

The residence was a three-storey building, and the incident had occurred in a room on the first floor. Aravinda de Silva, his wife, and lawyer Priyanta were present at the scene, along with a doctor and staff from Durdans Hospital.

The officer also stated that the mother of Aravinda de Silva, Rani de Silva, and her caregiver were present on the ground floor.

Police observed that the room door was open and a person was found hanging inside. The room was lit, and two keys were found on the door.

The officer further noted that a strap was found around the victim’s neck, with part of it appearing detached, and a similar strap fragment was found attached to a bathroom door.

A doctor present at the scene confirmed that the individual had already died.

Police subsequently called forensic officers and canine units and informed the Magistrate for a scene inspection. A post-mortem examination was later requested.

The officer also stated that there was no evidence of forced entry and only one door provided access to the room.

Testimony from witnesses 25 and 26 has been postponed to the next court date.