A post-mortem examination has revealed that a man whose body was discovered in a canal in the Galagahena area of Homagama had been brutally murdered, his throat slit before the body was dumped, police say.
The victim has been identified as a 41-year-old resident of Pitipana, Homagama. According to police, he worked full-time at a garment factory while also driving a motorcycle taxi through a ride-hailing app to supplement his income. He had left home at around 7.00 p.m. on July 15 to transport a passenger and did not return.
His body was found in the early hours of July 16. Investigators believe the killing took place on a plot of auctioned land near the canal where the body was recovered. The examination, carried out at Homagama Base Hospital following a magistrate’s inquest, confirmed that the cause of death was severe injuries from the slitting of the throat.
Police said the assailants are believed to have fled after stealing the victim’s motorcycle, gold necklace, mobile phone and wallet, pointing to robbery as a likely motive. A pair of shoes and a 20-rupee note believed to belong to the deceased were recovered from the suspected crime scene.
No suspects have yet been identified. Homagama Police are continuing investigations to trace those responsible, including efforts to identify the passenger the victim set out to transport on the night he disappeared.
