Authorities have recorded statements from ten employees of Panadura Magistrate's Court following the disappearance of two case files related to organised crime and drug trafficking suspect Salindu Malsitha Gunaratne, known as 'Kudu Salindu.'
An investigation has been launched into the disappearance of two case files from Panadura Magistrate's Court involving organised criminal and drug trafficking suspect Salindu Malsitha Gunaratne, commonly referred to as 'Kudu Salindu.' According to Panadura Division Senior Superintendent of Police Nishan de Silva, statements have been recorded from ten court employees, including seven female officials, as part of the inquiry.
The missing files relate to two separate cases: one concerning an alleged murder in the Panadura North area attributed to Kudu Salindu's instructions, and another case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department under the Money Laundering Act. The court registrar formally reported the disappearance to Panadura South Police Headquarters on September 1, following the CID's inability to locate a requested report during a court hearing on August 28.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the case files had been given to an office assistant for photocopying before being returned to the court archives, from where they subsequently went missing. Police have indicated they will examine CCTV footage from within the court complex to trace the handling and disappearance of the documents. The Panadura Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation under the direction of senior divisional officers.