Presenting details to the court regarding the CCTV footage from the location where Chandrasena died and his place of residence, the CCD noted a critical technical gap. They stated that while the surveillance systems at both the deceased's residence and the home of former cricketer Aravinda de Silva (where the death occurred) were fully operational, neither system had saved any data.
Consequent to these findings, the CCD requested the court to order the production of the two Digital Video Recorder (DVR) machines from these CCTV systems as case exhibits today. They further requested a court order to forward both DVR machines to the Government Analyst for a detailed forensic examination.
Elaborating on the access points of the premises, the CCD told the court: *"Your Honor, investigations into the entrance routes to the location where Kapila Chandrasena passed away revealed two additional pathways into the house. Specifically, the house can be accessed through the ground floor of Aravinda de Silva's residence, where vehicles are parked. However, our investigations covering the period from May 5, 2026, to May 7, 2026, show no record of any individual utilizing those entry points."
The prosecution also informed the court that while an order had previously been granted to retrieve the deceased's phone records prior to his death, the timeframe permitted was insufficient. They requested an extension of time to complete the retrieval and noted that an affidavit would be submitted to that effect.
Furthermore, the engineer responsible for installing the surveillance systems was present in court today to testify regarding the failure of the CCTV systems to store data.
During the proceedings, the Magistrate inquired whether the individuals who went to meet the lawyers regarding Kapila Chandrasena's bail on that day had been named as witnesses in the case. In response, the CCD stated that they have been unable to record statements from them yet as the sureties are currently held in remand custody under orders from the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, but further investigations are underway.
The Magistrate noted that a proper court order could be obtained to record statements from those witnesses while they are in custody. The CCD agreed to formally apprise the court regarding these suspects through a motion.
The magisterial inquiry and examination of evidence related to the death are scheduled to be taken up before the Fort Magistrate’s Court later today.
