More than a decade after the death of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, police have confirmed that notorious underworld figure Arun Vidanagamage, widely known as Middeniye Kajja, was part of the group allegedly responsible for the killing.
Acting Police Spokesman SSP Minura Senarath said Kajja’s wife had recognised him in CCTV footage examined by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). According to her testimony, her husband’s distinctive posture — the result of a chronic spinal ailment — matched the man captured on video near a vehicle suspected of following Thajudeen’s car on the night of his death.
A Case Once Dismissed as an Accident
Thajudeen was discovered dead inside his burnt vehicle at Narahenpita on 17 May 2012. Initial investigations by Narahenpita Police concluded it was a car accident, and the file was closed.
However, the case was reopened in 2015 following concerns raised by then-Colombo DIG Gamini Mathurata. A second post-mortem conducted by a three-member forensic panel led by Dr. Ajith Tennakoon confirmed that the rugby star had sustained injuries incompatible with a crash. Their report determined that Thajudeen had been murdered.
Evidence and Suspects
As the CID pursued the inquiry, CCTV footage traced Thajudeen’s movements shortly before his death. The clips showed him stopping briefly near a Havelock Town supermarket and then being followed by another vehicle. One man is seen standing near that second vehicle, though investigators initially could not verify his identity.
The probe later intensified after several underworld figures — Kehlebaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, Panadura Nilanga, Backhoe Saman, and Thebili Lahiru — were deported from Indonesia. One of them, Bakosaman, alleged during questioning that Middeniye Kajja had been directly involved in the killing.
Kajja himself, in a 2023 YouTube interview, admitted receiving death threats and hinted at his awareness of what had happened to Thajudeen.
Wife’s Testimony Marks Turning Point
Kajja’s widow subsequently came forward, telling CID officers that her husband had spoken to her about threats to his life and his knowledge of the murder. When investigators showed her CCTV footage, she immediately identified the man holding his hands to his waist as Kajja, saying the stance was unmistakably linked to his spinal condition.
“This identification provides crucial corroboration for the CID’s investigation,” SSP Senarath confirmed, adding that inquiries are continuing to trace others connected to the crime.
Next Steps
Police said the new evidence would be used to strengthen the case as detectives pursue all individuals linked to the long-unsolved killing.
“This is a decisive step forward in uncovering the truth behind the murder of Wasim Thajudeen,” SSP Senarath said.
