Identity of the person who followed Wasim Thajudeen’s vehicle revealed

01-Oct-2025

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The Police Media Spokesperson has revealed that the person who was in another vehicle following rugby player Wasim Thajudeen’s car before he was murdered has been identified as Mitheniye Gajja, a member of an organized crime group.

At a special media briefing, it was mentioned that this individual was identified by his wife.

Rugby player Wasim Thajudeen died under suspicious circumstances near Shalika Grounds, Narahenpita, on May 17, 2012.

Initially considered an accident and closed by Narahenpita Police and Borella Crimes Division, the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 2015 based on a report by then Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gamini Maturata.

CID’s extensive investigations revealed that the initial postmortem was not properly conducted, and suspicions arose regarding his death.

With court approval, Thajudeen’s body was exhumed, and a second postmortem was carried out. It revealed that bones in the chest and neck area were missing, confirming that Thajudeen’s death was not an accident but a homicide.

Further investigation showed CCTV footage of Thajudeen’s vehicle being followed after he had stopped near a supermarket in Havelock Town to buy a bottle of water.

The CID released CCTV images of an unidentified person near the second vehicle, though identification was not possible at the time.

Recently, new leads emerged after the arrest of wanted criminals, including Bekko Saman, in Indonesia. Bekko Saman was found to be linked to the killing of Arun Shantha, also known as “Mitheniye Gajja,” who was shot dead earlier this year.

Subsequently, CID obtained a voluntary statement from Gajja’s wife, who confirmed that her husband had received threats and had even spoken about the Thajudeen case in a 2023 YouTube interview.

When shown the CCTV footage of the unidentified person near the second vehicle, Gajja’s wife identified him as her late husband, Arun Shantha alias “Gajja,” pointing out his habitual gesture of resting his hands on his waist due to chronic waist pain.

This identification, after more than 13 years, is considered a significant breakthrough in the case. 

The Police Media Spokesperson stated that CID continues to pursue the investigation into Wasim Thajudeen’s murder.