DOUBLE MURDER AT ABHAYAPURA

Fiancee and mother dies from machette blow ....
Fiancee had got friendly when lover was away in Malaysia

     It was reported from Anuradhapura last Tuesday night of a mother and daughter who was murdered in their own house with a machette. It was also reported that the deceased girl's father had come forward with a machette in hand to prevent the attack of this former lover who had come armed with a sword.

   In the sword-macette battle, the youth's sword had got thrown off from his hand and then the youth had got hold of the machette and proceeded to deal deadly blows on both his 23 year old lover and 62 year old mother of hers. The father too had been subjected to severe injuries. The 62 year old father has been admitted to Anuradhapura Hospital for treatment with serious cut injuries.

   This conflict had taken place as a result of a love affair. There had been a love affair between the deceased girl and the youth for sometime and arrangements had been made for the engagement with consent on both sides. But malicious rumours had begun to circulate about the youth who had at that time been in Malaysia, being employed there. Later on the girl had discontinued the affair and started another affair. The youth on coming back to Sri Lanka found that the girl had struck up a friendship with another which caused him to lose his temper and he even developed an animosity on the girl's parents for having supported the daughter over the new connection.

   The youth had gone to the house of the girl that night armed with a sword with the intention of killing the girl. On that occasion the girl's father too had armed himself with a machette and had approached the youth. He had then dealt a blow on the sword which had git thrown off from the hand of the youth. Subsequently he had wrestled with the girl's father and had managed to grab the machette with which he had cut the girl and her parents, according to the police.

    After the incident, the suspected youth A.M.Suranga Jayanath Amerasingha had been taken into custody by the police. This is what the suspect had to say:
                     "I took the sword and went there not with the intention of killing anybody ... only to frighten them. At that moment Dharshanamali's father brought a machette to attack me. Later he dealt a blow on my sword with the machette. The sword got thrown away to a side. I then wrestled with Dharshanamali's father and managed to grab the machette from his hand. Finally I cut all three of them and left the place".

    It was revealed from police inquiries that the suspect had on a number of occasions too had threatened to kill the girl and other members of her family.

   This unfortunate incident was reported from a house in Abhayapura area on the Old Road in Anuradhapura. The two deceased from the incident were 62 year old Pinhamige Sheela Karunaratna and 23 year old Thakshila Dharshanamali Karunaratna.

   The deceased girl had been employed at the National Water Supply and Drainage Board in the internal audit unit as an Asst.Accounts Manager for about 10 months on a temporary basis. She was however to be made permanent shortly.

   The person who had received most physical damage in this incident is Punchibanda Karunaratna, who is a retired storekeeper. According to a spokesman of the Anuradhapura Training Hospital, his condition is very serious.

   It was revealed on investigation by the police that this youth had been employed in Malaysia for sometime and had come back to Sri Lanka about 2 months ago and had paid money to an employment agency to secure employment in South Africa in a few days' time.

   The Magistrate inquiry over this dual murder was conducted by Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate, Mrs.Ruwandika Marapona. She instructed the police to investigate into this murder and to report the proceedings to the courts and to remand the suspect till 14th June