The Colombo Crimes Division yesterday (14) informed the Fort Magistrate’s Court that the security camera system at the residence of former cricketer Aravinda de Silva, where former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena died under suspicious circumstances, had not stored any footage despite being operational.
The magisterial inquiry into Chandrasena’s death continued for the second day before Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena.
CCTV Footage Missing Despite Operational System
Investigating officers told court that although the CCTV system installed at Aravinda de Silva’s residence was functioning, no recorded data could be recovered as footage had not been stored.
The CCD submitted a further report outlining ongoing investigations and informed court that a house belonging to Chandrasena’s wife had been searched under a court order. During the search, two laptops and several files were seized for further investigation.
Questioning the investigators, the Magistrate asked whether all CCTV footage from the residence where Chandrasena died had been secured.
Officers responded that no footage was available from the house itself due to the absence of stored data. However, they said footage from CCTV systems installed at two nearby houses had been obtained, covering the period from May 6 to the afternoon of May 8, 2026.
Investigators further stated that the residence had only one entrance and that the recovered footage included movements of persons arriving at and leaving the premises.
Attorney Recounts Discovery of Body
Attorney Priyantha Amarasinghe, who first saw Chandrasena’s body inside the house, gave extensive testimony before court.
“I went to Aravinda de Silva’s house following instructions given by President’s Counsel Rienzi Arsakularatne the previous night. Around 9.30 p.m., Rienzi Sir called me and said Kapila Chandrasena had to be produced before court and asked me to file a motion prepared in his chamber and keep the case until he arrived,” Amarasinghe testified.
He said Arsakularatne had expressed concern that Chandrasena could be remanded and instructed him to reassure Chandrasena regarding the motion to recall the warrant.
According to Amarasinghe, at around 11 p.m. that night, Aravinda de Silva contacted him and said Chandrasena was at the house.
“The next morning at about 7.15 a.m., I went to Aravinda’s house and called him. He came downstairs and said Kapila was not answering calls. We went upstairs and Aravinda’s wife opened the room using a master key. When the door opened, I noticed the bedspread rolled up and the bed empty. Looking to the left, I saw something like a tie hanging above the door and below it a bald head on a blue chair,” he said.
“I observed part of a belt around the neck. I immediately came out and told Aravinda, ‘It appears he is dead, call a doctor you know.’ Hearing that, he became frightened.”
Doctor Says Death Occurred Hours Earlier
Dr. Yashoda Lakshani Liyanage, the first doctor to examine the body, testified that she arrived at the residence around 7.45 a.m. on May 8 after receiving a call.
“A man identifying himself as a lawyer took me to the bedroom. The bed was empty. A chair had been turned toward the door and a person was lying there. I checked for signs of life. He was not breathing, his pulse had stopped and one side of his face was pressed against the chair,” she said.
“When I raised his right hand, it was partially stiff. The pupil in the right eye was dilated and fixed. He was already dead when I examined him.”
Responding to police questions regarding the estimated time of death, the doctor stated that death may have occurred one to two hours before her examination.
Servants Describe Final Movements
Manathunga Mudiyanselage Somadasa, a domestic employee at Chandrasena’s Barnes Place residence, testified that no visitors had come to meet Chandrasena from the time he returned home on May 6 until he left for Aravinda de Silva’s residence on May 7.
Housemaid Subrahim Pramila also gave evidence regarding Chandrasena’s final movements.
She said Chandrasena returned home at around 5 p.m. on May 6, had dinner around 8.30 p.m., spoke to household staff and later went to bed saying he was tired.
According to her testimony, Chandrasena left the house at about 3.30 p.m. on May 7 and did not return. Later, Aravinda de Silva’s driver brought back the vehicle and handed over the keys.
She further stated that Chandrasena telephoned her later that night requesting clothes, medicine, two pairs of glasses and a blue belt to be packed in a bag as he had to appear in court the following day.
Pramila said she handed the bag over to a vehicle sent by Chandrasena.
The following morning, at around 6.40 a.m., she attempted to contact Chandrasena but received no response. She also testified that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department arrived at the house around 7.25 a.m. with a warrant and conducted a search.
“It was only after they left around 8.15 a.m. that I came to know Sir had died,” she told court.
Further Hearings on May 19
Evidence was also recorded from two drivers employed by Aravinda de Silva who had transported Chandrasena’s belongings.
Further hearings were adjourned until May 19.
