 On his return from Japan, he was arrested for orchestrating the murder of Francis Dixon Attygalle, his brother in law.Francis Attygalle was actually shot by Piloris a Boer War veteran who had served under Winston Churchill.Piloris turned Crown Witness and Kotelawala, his former police sergeants, Singhoni Perera and Baron Perera, were accused of murder in the Colombo Assizes court and all were found guilty.