The suspect Lalith Prasanna who was held by the Moratuwa police was the second to die in custody within a week.

Prassana jumped in to the Bolgoda River while he was being escorted to show a murder wepon used in the murder of a police constable said Sri Lanka's defence spokesman.

Director General of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Luxmun Hulugalla said that a policeman who attempted to save the suspect from drowning has also been admitted to the hospital.

In the recent past a number of suspects have died in police custody and asked why adequate protection is not provided Hulugalla said “you must remember that they are criminals and there is a limit to the protection we could provide.

Meanwhile the Free Media Movement (FMM) said that police have erased a video tape of journalist Indika Sri Aravinda who interviewed the victim's family at the police station.

The MCNS head said, "if journalists behave in a manner that obstructs police duty, they are compelled to take legal action".