Kajja linked to Wasim Thajudeen murder

Aruna Vidanagamage, also known as “Kajja,” who was recently murdered along with his two children in the Middeniya area, had been among the group involved in the murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen on May 17, 2012.

This was confirmed today (September 30) by Acting Police Spokesman, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Minura Senarath during a press briefing at the Police Media Division.

Police revealed that Kajja had been in the vehicle that followed Wasim Thajudeen’s car moments before the rugby player’s death, linking him directly to the incident.

On May 17, 2012, near the Shalika Grounds on Park Road within the Narahenpita Police Division, the car in which former rugby player Wasim Thajudeen was travelling collided with a wall, leading to his death.

The Narahenpita Police initially treated the incident as a motor accident and concluded that Thajudeen had died due to the crash.

However, following a report from the then Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Colombo District to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) that this was a suspicious death, the case was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

On August 10, 2015, under the orders of the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, the body was exhumed and a fresh postmortem was carried out by a panel of specialist doctors. The examination revealed that some bones had allegedly been intentionally displaced, and the postmortem report confirmed that this was a homicide.

CID investigations later uncovered CCTV footage showing another suspicious vehicle following Thajudeen’s car on the day of the incident. It was also observed that an individual had entered Thajudeen’s vehicle, and investigations began to identify that person.

On February 18, 2025, Vidanagamage Aruna Priyantha Kumara, alias “Kajja,” and his two children were shot and killed at Kadewatta Junction in Middeniya. During the investigation into his killing, underworld figure ‘Backhoe Saman,’ who had been arrested in Indonesia and brought back to Sri Lanka, was identified as the mastermind behind the murder.

Kajja’s wife later gave a statement to the CID, alleging that Backhoe Saman was directly connected to the murder of her husband and children.

Police further revealed that Kajja had disclosed certain details about the Thajudeen murder in an interview with a well-known YouTube channel. During the CID inquiry, the CCTV footage from 2012 was shown to Kajja’s wife, who identified the person in the footage as her husband.

She explained that he had suffered from chronic back pain, which caused him to frequently place both hands behind his back, a gesture also visible in the footage. Based on these facts, she confirmed that the person captured on camera was indeed her husband.

The information came to light during ongoing investigations into Kajja’s killing and reinforced the link between him and the Thajudeen case.

The CID has confirmed that further investigations into both murders will continue.