No headway in Lokka case as Sri Lankan government delays vital samples

COIMBATORE: Forensic experts in Chennai have extracted DNA from the viscera of the man, who is suspected to be Sri Lankan underworld don Angoda Lokka, died of cardiac arrest at Balaji Nagar near Cheran Maa Nagar here on the night of July 3, 2020.
The investigation to ascertain that the deceased was Lokka has been pending for the past seven months, as the Sri Lankan government is yet to help the Crime Branch-CID police with the blood samples of the don’s parents and his finger print samples.
The district CB-CID police had sent a letter to the Union home ministry in August 2020 to get the blood samples Lokka’s parents to extract DNA and see whether the same matches with that of the deceased.
“Experts from our forensic science department in Chennai have extracted the DNA from the viscera of the deceased. But we are yet to get DNA samples of Lokka’s parents and his fingerprint samples from the Sri Lankan government,” an official confirmed.
He attributed the delay to the pandemic situation. “Sri Lanka is badly affected by Covid-19 and the country’s focus is on fighting the same, while resting Lokka case for the time being.”
The deceased was living in the district under the name of Pradeep Singh, who police think was Maddumage Chandana Lasantha Perera alias Angoda Lokka who was wanted accused in more than eight murder cases and drug smuggling cases in Colombo in Sri Lanka. After coming to the state illegally in 2017, he had moved to the city in February 2020 and taken a house at Balaji Nagar on rent. Amani Dhanji of Colombo was also residing with him in the city.
Following his death, the body was cremated at Madurai. The city police had arrested Madurai-based lawyer Sivakami Sundari, her friend Dhyaneswaran and Amani Dhanji for hiding the identity of the deceased and illegally obtaining Aadhaar card. Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the CB-CID police.
He was carrying a pistol, which was handed over to his close aid Chanuka Thananayaka of Colombo. We are working on to nab him,” the official said.