A major breakthrough has emerged in the long-running investigation into the suspicious death of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, who died on 17th of May 2012, near Shalika Grounds in Narahenpita.
Initially ruled a car accident by the Narahenpita Police and Borella Crimes Investigation Division, the case was reopened in 2015 after a report by then-DIG Gamini Mathurata raised serious concerns. A second post-mortem led by Colombo Chief JMO Dr. Ajith Tennakoon confirmed Thajudeen’s death was a homicide, not an accident.
CID detectives retraced Thajudeen’s final movements, uncovering CCTV footage of another vehicle trailing his car. While an individual seen near that second vehicle remained unidentified for years, a fresh lead has now surfaced.
Following the recent arrest of several wanted Sri Lankan criminals in Indonesia, investigators linked the suspect to slain gang leader Aruna Shantha, alias Middeniye Kajja. Kajja’s wife identified him in the old CCTV footage, citing distinctive physical traits such as his posture caused by chronic hip pain.
Her testimony strongly indicates that the unidentified figure in the Thajudeen case was indeed Kajja, marking a critical development after more than a decade of uncertainty.
The CID confirmed it is continuing to pursue new leads as the high-profile murder investigation moves forward.
