Lankapura PS Member Re-Arrested After Fatal Assault

COLOMBO (News 1st); Police have re-arrested Abdul Samad, a member of the Lankapura Pradeshiya Sabha representing the Sarvajana Balaya Party, in connection with a murder investigation following a fatal assault incident.

The case relates to an altercation last Saturday when a group of disaster-affected residents approached the councillor seeking assistance.

During the confrontation, a man was allegedly assaulted and later hospitalized. The suspect was initially arrested on assault charges and released on bail.

However, police confirmed that the victim succumbed to injuries, and the postmortem inquiry delivered an open verdict, prompting further investigation.

Police revealed that the deceased sustained a blow during the incident, leading to the councillor’s re-arrest today.

Authorities also stated that the suspect’s spouse and several others are expected to be arrested.

The Incident:

A shocking incident in Polonnaruwa has sparked outrage after Abdul Samad, a member of the Lankapura Pradeshiya Sabha representing the Sarva Jana Balaya, was caught on camera assaulting a man during a heated confrontation over disaster relief.

The violence erupted when a group of residents, already reeling from recent calamities, approached Samad seeking assistance. What began as a desperate plea for help turned into a scene of brutality.

The victim, N.A.M.A. Aswar, suffered severe injuries, including four broken teeth, and was rushed to hospital.

In a tragic twist, his brother-in-law—who tried to intervene—collapsed at home shortly after the altercation and died despite being admitted to hospital.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Aswar recounted the horror:

"I came home from work and saw people gathered. I asked why they didn’t give me aid. Then 20–25 people attacked me and my brother-in-law. Now he’s dead, and I’m in hospital. Four of my teeth are gone. Samad, his family, and others beat me. I lost consciousness."

The deceased man’s father-in-law, M.S.A. Jamil, described the ordeal:

"My son asked for aid. They refused. He said he works hard and pleaded. Later, Samad, his wife, and relatives came and beat him. When my son-in-law tried to stop them, they hit him in the chest. I took him home, but later he was silent, no sound. At the hospital, they said he was dead."