Murdered crime figure linked to 2012 Thajudeen case

Wednesday, 1 October 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Police yesterday disclosed that an underworld figure killed in Middeniya earlier this year had been inside a vehicle that pursued rugby player Wasim Thajudeen shortly before his death in 2012.

Acting Police Media Spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said the man, identified as Anura Vidanagamage, known as “Middeniya Kajja”, was recognised by his widow in relation to the case.

Investigators believe Vidanagamage was among those who followed Thajudeen’s car on the night of his death. Thajudeen, a former national rugby player, was found dead in his vehicle in May 2012. Although initially reported as a car accident, the case was later reclassified as a homicide.

Vidanagamage, alleged to have ties to organised crime, was shot dead in Middeniya earlier this year. Police said his role in the Thajudeen case has now resurfaced during ongoing probes into underworld activity and unresolved high-profile killings.

Further investigations are underway.