Priyantha Sirisena, brother of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, has died two days after being rushed to a hospital in Colombo; he had suffered serious head injuries when a friend attacked him with an axe, reportedly over a private dispute.
The attack is said to have occurred at around 7pm on Thursday in the Sri Lankan town of Polonnaruwa. Sirisena was later airlifted to a hospital in the capital Colombo for emergency treatment, but the doctors were unable to save his life.
The suspect in the attack, Don Nishan Lakmal Haputhanthri, was arrested on Thursday after surrendering himself to the authorities, and on Friday was remanded in custody by magistrates until April 8. According to reports in the Sri Lankan press, Lakmal told police in his statement that he assaulted Sirisena with the axe because Sirisena had come to his house under the influence of liquor and swore at his parents. The investigation is ongoing.
Priyantha Sirisena, 40, who ran a sand-mining business, is the younger brother of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. Maithripala Sirisena, who became president in January after a shock election win over Mahinda Rajapaksa (who had been the incumbent since 2005), is currently on a four day visit to China.
