by Kalinga Weerakkody
Police probing Friday night’s killing of Sanjeeva Perera alias Baddegana Sanjeeva is on the trail of a woman he was chatting with on his mobile telephone at the time the assailant opened fire.

‘This woman has been identified and will be interrogated shortly’, Mirihana SSP Gamini Karunatilleka said yesterday.

He declined to disclose details saying it would hamper on-going investigations.

Police had deployed a special team to arrest the assailant who had fled after the shooting.

Sanjeeva had been shot with a 9mm pistol on the back of his head, police said.

Police suspect that a person travelling with him in his super luxury jeep had shot him.

Police found a 9mm pistol, spent bullets and a pair of ladies sandals inside the vehicle.

OIC Mirihana K. A. Premadasa told ‘The Island’ that a woman who closely associated with the victim had identified that the sandals recovered from the luxury inter cooler belonged to her.

Sanjeeva was unmarried and around 30 years old. He had been implicated in a number of violent incidents including the killing of Satana Editor Rohana Kumara, the editor of the controversial newspaper, and a bodyguard of former UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake before the last general election and many other killings relating to the underworld as well.

Sanjeeva was killed while driving his vehicle along 1st Cross Street (Pagoda Road).