Eraj Ravindra Fernando, a former Mayor of the Hambantota Municipal Council, was found dead at a Colombo apartment on Wednesday morning, police said. Preliminary inquiries indicate he died by suicide.
Sri Lanka Police have deployed two investigative teams, working under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Colombo South Division, to establish the circumstances of the death.
According to NewsFirst, the body was found inside an eighth-floor apartment belonging to Fernando, and he is suspected to have died after hanging himself from a door using a necktie. Police said another person had been staying at the apartment but had travelled to Hambantota the previous day. That individual tried to reach Fernando by telephone on Wednesday morning and, receiving no answer, called a woman engaged in cleaning work at the apartment and asked her to check the residence. The body was discovered during that inspection.
The outlets differ on where the apartment is. Ada Derana placed it in Bambalapitiya, while NewsFirst and Hiru News both located it in Thimbirigasyaya — adjacent Colombo localities. The reported age also differs: Ada Derana and Hiru News gave Fernando’s age as 57, while NewsFirst reported he was 61.
Fernando contested under the United People’s Freedom Alliance and was elected Mayor of the Hambantota Municipal Council in 2014, Ada Derana reported. He was re-elected to the post in 2018 with the backing of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
Police said investigations are continuing. No outlet reported whether a post-mortem has been scheduled or which magistrate’s court will take up the inquiry.
If you or someone you know is in distress, Sumithrayo offers a confidential helpline on 011-2696666, and the National Mental Health Helpline can be reached on 1926. CCCline is available toll-free on 1333.
