Lalith Kotelawala, a businessman and former Chairman of Ceylinco Consolidated, was reportedly held hostage by a group of individuals who restricted his freedom of movement, as revealed by his family during court proceedings.
Shireene Wijerathne, the sister-in-law of the late Kotelawala, disclosed to the Chief Colombo Magistrate's Court that a group of individuals, including lawyers, had surrounded Kotelawala, inducing a state of fear.
These revelations came to light during the inquest into the death of Lalith Kotelawala, presided over by Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena.
"They manipulated him into transferring valuable properties, including those he had inherited, into their names," she stated. According to her account, Kotelawala was confined in a room with tinted windows, where he was only allowed to move within a ten-foot radius from his bedroom to the boardroom in his office.
She added, "They persuaded him to leave his residence and relocated him to his office, where he was kept in a room with tinted windows." She further explained that the lawyers, who had recently completed their apprenticeships, had come under the pretext of obtaining certified copies of court proceedings.
"Subsequently, they coerced him into transferring valuable properties into their names," she concluded.
Counsel Hafeel Farisz, along with Shannon Thilekarathne, represented the family, while President's Counsel Anuja Premarathne represented a group of lawyers mentioned by a previous witness.
