A 45-year-old garage owner has been hospitalised after an alleged assault by the chairman of the Kadugannawa Urban Council, and police are investigating to arrest the chairman, NewsFirst reported on Friday morning.

Police said the incident took place in the Ilukwatta area of Kadugannawa and followed a dispute over assessment taxes — the rates levied by local authorities on property within their jurisdiction, and a core part of an urban council’s own revenue.

The injuries

The victim’s transfer through three hospitals is the clearest indication of how serious his condition was treated as being. He was first admitted to Kadugannawa Hospital, then moved to Peradeniya Hospital, and subsequently to the Kandy National Hospital for further treatment.

Police said investigations are under way to arrest the chairman in connection with the incident. No arrest had been reported at the time of writing.

Who runs the council

Following the last local government elections, a coalition led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) formed the administration of the Kadugannawa Urban Council, with Lakshitha Abeyratne elected as chairman, NewsFirst said.

A second such allegation in three weeks

This is the second allegation of assault against the head of an urban council in the Kandy district reported this month. On 12 October this desk reported that the head of the Nawalapitiya Urban Council, his son and his son-in-law were arrested over an alleged assault that followed a road accident on the night of 10 October, with all three due before the Nawalapitiya Magistrate’s Court. The two cases are unconnected, and no filing links them.

Not reported

NewsFirst’s account is the only one available. It does not say when the incident occurred, what the victim’s condition is, or what injuries he sustained. It does not describe the nature of the assessment-tax dispute, or whether the garage owner was the person liable for the taxes. It does not state whether the chairman has responded to the allegation, whether he has been contacted by police, or why an arrest had not been made by the time of the report. No charge has been filed and no court date is mentioned.

Single source. A search of the Daily Mirror’s breaking-news listing, the full Hiru News rail and the other verified newsrooms returned no independent account of this incident at the time of writing. Nothing here is corroborated by a second newsroom, and the allegation against the chairman remains untested.

Sources