Sri Lanka Ex-police Chief’s Death Points to Gun Accident

The controversial death of former Inspector General of Police Chandana Wickramaratne is increasingly being seen as the result of a firearm accident, even as a forensic report is awaited, close associates said on Sunday.

The 63-year-old retired officer was killed on Friday morning, just before he was due to go out for his constitutional walk with his wife, Priyangi, accompanied by his Personal Security Officer (PSO).

Wickramaratne, dressed in track bottoms and a white cotton T-shirt, was seated on his veranda, waiting for his wife to put on her shoes. Noticing a new revolver carried by his PSO, he asked to see it and was examining it when a single bullet was discharged.

According to testimony from the PSO, Wickramaratne had joked about whether the weapon was being carried without ammunition, prompting the officer to produce a magazine and hand it to him.

The PSO had gone to fetch a bottle of water from the pantry when a single shot was heard. Wickramaratne was found bleeding from the chest and was pronounced dead on admission to Mulleriyawa Hospital.

An autopsy was conducted on Friday, with the Judicial Medical Officer taking several samples for testing. A cause-of-death report is expected by Wednesday, when the magisterial inquiry opens.

Police spokesman F. U. Wootler initially told local media that Wickramaratne had committed suicide using his PSO’s revolver. However, a subsequent written statement from police dropped the suicide claim, saying instead that he had died from a gunshot injury.

Two police units have been deployed to investigate, while CCTV footage from Wickramaratne’s residence has been reviewed. Initial indications are that there were no signs of a break-in.

The location of the gunshot wound has also drawn attention, as firearm suicides are more commonly associated with injuries to the head rather than the chest, according to forensic observations.

However, experts note that such patterns are not definitive, and a conclusive determination in this case will depend on the full forensic and ballistic analysis.

Family members in the meantime have firmly rejected the suicide theory, citing his demeanour in the lead-up to his death.

Wickramaratne had made an appointment for an eye test and was due to meet a school batchmate on Saturday. He had also accepted an invitation to a birthday party on July 31 and had asked the host to remind him two days in advance.

On the morning of his death, minutes before the incident, he sent several “good morning” messages via WhatsApp to close friends. The family insists he was not depressed. He had attended an Ananda College old boys’ event days earlier, dined with schoolmates, and spent time in conversation with them.

They also reject social media claims that he was distressed over the troubled marriage of his youngest son, who is a defendant in an acrimonious divorce case.

Further claims that he was depressed after his son had been held in custody overnight were dismissed as an exaggeration of court proceedings earlier in the week.

"There was no such remand or lock-up as claimed in those posts," a family member told MonetaBrief.

Wickramaratne, who adored his seven-month-old granddaughter, had been looking forward to taking her to school. He was also writing a book on cultural beliefs and traditions, sharing drafts with close friends for proofreading.

Both mainstream media and social media have speculated that the death was linked to Wickramaratne’s statement to Easter Sunday attack investigators, but this has been discounted by senior police officials.

He made a statement in 2020 explaining the sequence of events relating to the Easter Sunday investigation. Officials noted that its contents were reported to the Fort Magistrate on May 11, 2026, and have since been in the public domain. There was nothing particularly new or startling in the statement, according to those who have reviewed it.

He was appointed the 35th Inspector General of Police on November 25, 2020, and retired in 2023 after receiving three short service extensions. He also set a record as the longest-serving Acting IGP, having held the position since May 2019 after his predecessor, Pujith Jayasundara, was sent on compulsory leave.