Seven people including a Sub-Inspector attached to the Police Narcotic Bureau were arrested over the death of a Vocational Training Officer while in Police custody, confirmed the Police Spokesperson on Friday (9).

The Maligakanda Magistrate's Court on Tuesday (6) ruled that the cause of death of the Assistant Manager of the Vocational Training Authority, who died while in custody of the Police Narcotic Bureau, was Blunt Force Trauma.

Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama while delivering the order on the postmortem, ordered for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the death.

On the 10th of January 2023, Samantha Preethi Kumara, an Assistant Manager at the Vocational Training Authority in Narahenpita had visited a restaurant with a friend to have lunch.

Samantha Preethi Kumara had decided to walk back to his office after purchasing his meal, while his friend decided to stay back and enjoy lunch at the restaurant.

It was during his way back to office, that Samantha Preethi Kumara was taken away by a group that arrived in a jeep.

Thereafter, relatives were informed that his lifeless body was lying at the Colombo National Hospital.

On that day, when News 1st contacted the Police Spokesperson, SSP Nihal Thalduwa, he said that Samantha Preethi Kumara was picked up by the police suspected of being a leading player in a drug network that was under investigation.

The Police Spokesperson went on to note that the detectives from the Police Narcotic Bureau had interrogated the suspects with regard to those above him in the drug network, and during the course of the inquiry the suspect had smashed a bottle in half, and attacked the police officer.

However, in court on Tuesday (6) it was revealed that Samantha Preethi Kumara died as a result of bleeding due to the assault.