Former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne to receive full police honours

The final rites of former Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne will take place with full police honours at the Borella General Cemetery this afternoon (20).

Wickramaratne, Sri Lanka’s 35th Inspector General of Police, died at the age of 63.

He joined the Sri Lanka Police in 1986 and became Acting Inspector General of Police after the suspension of then IGP Pujith Jayasundara following the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

Authorities appointed Wickramaratne as Inspector General of Police on 27 November 2020.

He was due to retire on 25 March 2023, but then President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended his tenure several times until the appointment of a new police chief. Wickramaratne remained in office for nearly eight additional months before retiring on 23 November 2023.

Wickramaratne died from a gunshot wound on Friday.

Police suspect that he shot himself using a firearm issued to one of his security officers.

The Judicial Medical Officer at Colombo East Hospital returned an open verdict following the post-mortem examination and ordered officials to send body samples to the Government Analyst for further examination.

The Western Province South Crime Division and Malabe Police are investigating the death.

Investigators have also sent the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting to the Government Analyst for forensic examination.

The Western Province South Crime Division has recorded statements from Wickramaratne’s wife and three security officers as part of the investigation.