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When politicians get arrested over underworld ties, old photos have a way of resurfacing with new, convenient captions. SJB Horana organizer Charith Abeysinghe and Rakitha Rajapaksa, son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, were arrested a few days ago on bribery charges linked to organised crime figure ‘Harak Kata.’ This reignited public debate over links between politics and the underworld.
Right on cue, a photograph claiming to show JVP and NPP leaders attending an underworld figure’s funeral began circulating. We traced exactly where these photos actually came from.
Social Media Posts :
A photograph showing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several JVP/NPP leaders attending a funeral circulated with the caption: “The leftist political leader who came to pay last respects at Makandure Madush’s funeral.”
A second photo, also claiming to show President Anura paying his last respects to Madush, circulated separately:
We investigated whether these photographs genuinely show JVP/NPP leaders attending Makandure Madush’s funeral.
Fact-Check :
First Photo: This Was Actually Tilvin Silva’s Mother’s Funeral
A reverse image search revealed that the first photograph was taken at the funeral of JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva’s mother. The photo was published in September 2020 on NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official Facebook page, as part of a photo album from that funeral.
Facebook — Original Photo Album (Anura Kumara Dissanayake)
Facebook — Individual Photograph
The same photograph was also published on JVP’s official Facebook page, as seen here.
Second Photo: A Digitally Edited Version of an Actual Madush’s Funeral Photo
The original photograph behind the second post appeared in several posts about Madush’s real funeral. But Anura Kumara Dissanayake is not visible in any of those original posts, which can be viewed here | Archived and here | Archived. A comparison showing the edit is below.
National People’s Power (NPP) Confirms Leaders Did Not Attend
The NPP’s media unit confirmed to us that party leaders did not attend Madush’s funeral, and that the genuine photograph shows party leaders at the funeral of General Secretary Tilvin Silva’s mother, previously published on their own official social media accounts.
The Photo Was Taken a Month Before Madush Was Even Killed
Samarasinghe Arachchilage Madush Lakshitha, alias Makandure Madush, an underworld figure and drug trafficker, was shot and killed while in police custody on 20 October 2020 in the Maligawatta Applewatta area, exactly one month after Tilvin Silva’s mother’s funeral. Madush’s funeral was held on 21 October 2020.
Police stated that Madush was killed in a crossfire with other drug traffickers. Dissatisfied with the ongoing investigation and the lack of arrests, his wife and brother filed complaints, and in March 2026 the Criminal Investigation Department reopened the case.
Why This Photo Resurfaced Now
On 25 June 2026, CIABOC arrested SJB Horana organizer Charith Abeysinghe and Rakitha Rajapaksa, son of Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, on bribery charges linked to underworld figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias Harak Kata, reigniting public debate about links between politicians and the underworld. Daily Mirror | News 1st.
Against this backdrop, the 2020 fabricated photograph appears to have been recirculated to suggest that the ruling JVP/NPP similarly maintains ties with the underworld.
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Conclusion :
Our investigation confirms that the photographs claiming to show JVP leaders at Makandure Madush’s funeral are false and misleading. One photo is a digital edit. The other shows JVP leaders at the funeral of party General Secretary Tilvin Silva’s mother, taken in September 2020, a full month before Madush’s death.
Title: A Recycled 2020 Funeral Photo, Falsely Linking JVP Leaders to Underworld Figure Makandure Madush
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo Team
Result: False
