A Police Constable from the Special Protection Division and a resident of Thalawathugoda have been arrested for allegedly assisting suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon in evading arrest from 27 February to 19 March, the Police Spokesman said.

Tennakoon, who was wanted in connection with a shooting near a hotel in Weligama’s Pelena area in 2023, surrendered to court on 19 March after nearly 20 days in hiding. He has been remanded until 3 April and is currently held at Dumbara Prison in Kandy.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an arrest order for eight police officers, including former Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) officers and Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the 31 December 2023 shooting incident in front of the W15 Hotel in Pelena, Weligama.