Lankan policeman arrested over politically linked murder probe

Sri Lankan police today arrested one of their own men on charges of concealing information in murder investigation of a rugby player who had fallen out of favour with the sons of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Crime Investigation Department arrested Inspector Sumith Champika Perera, the officer in-charge of the Colombo suburban Narahenpita police, the police said in a statement.
"Perera was arrested on a charge of suppressing evidence in the Thajudeen murder case," the statement said.
He would be produced before a magistrate tomorrow.
The officer was accused of concealing information on the murder investigation of Wasim Thajudeen, a high-profile rugby player who had fallen out of favour with Rajapaksa's sons.

His body was found inside a burnt car at Narahenpita in May 2012. The police had earlier claimed that the former Sri Lankan Rugby captain burnt to death in a road accident.
However, leading to the 2015 presidential election which Rajapaksa lost a demand was made to re-open the case.
After President Maithripala Sirisena came to power last year, police reopened the case. Thajudeen's body was exhumed for a fresh autopsy.