Mother jumps to train- track with her two daughters

The tragedy of Manjula who jumped tothetrain with the daughters

Even without asking mother bought us tipitip,milk packets and kitkat Asked me to jump to the train ... I refused       
- Charunika Sandamini who escaped death

    An unfortunate tragedy of a mother who jumped in front of a moving train with her 2 year old daughter because of a conflict she had  in the house with her husband, an administrator of a garment factory, was reported from Kinnawala. The 9 year old other daughter who refused to jump the train at that moment by shaking off the mother's hand had jumped aside and was thus able to save her life in the nick of time.

   It was also reported that the husband who came to see his wife who was deceased was subjected to assault at the hospital from some of the relatives of the deceased woman.

  The two deceased were Manjula Erandi (31) who worked as a montessori teacher and her 2 year old daughter. It was revealed that she had for sometime been getting involved in arguments and fights with her husband R.D. Indika Neil Shantha (37) who was a chief administrator of a garment factory in Pannala. Even before the day of the incident, it was understood that the deceased has had a bandage round her head. Indika, Manjula and the 2 daughters have been living in Pannala in a house belonging to him, in close proximity to  the house where his parents were living.From the conflict that took place on Saturday night, Manjula had set off from home early Sunday morning with her 2  daughters, saying "I am going to my mother's place". What happened thereafter is described by 9 year old Charunika Sandamini who managed to save her life. This is what                      
she said at the inquest into the deaths which was conducted yesterday: "I and my younger sister came to Bowatta junction with mother from home, on her motor bike. I asked mother where she was going ... but she didn't say where she was going. Mother parked the bike at a boutique and had breakfast with us.

   After that we all got into a bus and came to Giriulla. Then after that we got into another bus and that came to Mirigama. I asked 'where is this you are going?' once again.She said,'to Chooti maama's house'. Then without even asking us she bought us 5 tipitip packets, 3  milk packets, 2 packets of kitkat and also 2 tablets for worms.

   Then we got into a train from Mirigama ... took tickets to Gampaha ... but didn't come to Gampaha in the train. Because there was no crowd at the Kinnawala station,she wanted to get down from there ... and got down from there ... so we got down from Kinnawala. After getting down we came along the rail track. I told mother that I  was having an urge to go to the toilet. We then went to some house and after that we came back. By that time there was a train coming. I asked 'where are you going mother?' Then she said, 'putha ... listen to what I am saying ... believe what I am saying ... jump to the train'. I cried and yelled and refused. Then after that about 2 trains passed. She tried to jump in front of those trains too. Mother then started pleading saying 'let us jump putha ... jump'. But I continuously refused saying that I can't and because of that I couldn't jump. There is a place where vehicles can't pass ... that's where she wanted to jump. She tried to jump at all those 3 trains ... but I did not let it happen ... then another train came. She then said 'now of course puthe ... agree to what I say ... let us jump' .... so saying she dragged me also and went ... carrying younger sister and so came to the centre of the track. She kept on dragging me. I shouted and said I can't. When the train was coming closer ... I pulled my hand from her grip and jumped aside. Mother and younger sister then got knocked down.

   After that I started running and shouting and took my sister in my arms. I saw her as if struggling ... she had life in her body. 'Aney ... my sister!' I shouted and then some uncles came and took her away. They didn't let me see my sister and mother ... and they put me into a train. On the way some police aunties took me'.

   The post-mortem of the deceased mother who jumped in front of the moving Yal Devi train carrying her small daughter in the arms at Kinnawala railway station which is situated between Veyangoda and Mirigama was conducted coroner and J.P. Mr. Chandrasiri Marasingha day-before-yesterday at the Wathupitiwela base hospital. The husband of the deceased woman who was coming out of the coroner's office after giving evidence was assaulted in the hospital by a group of the woman's relatives who were present there. While this group of relatives of deceased Manjula entered into an argument with him, one elderly woman jumped forward shouting 'it is you who did all these things... and if you made her die ... now eat her pieces' had dealt him some blows on his head and face with a few others joining in the assault.

   Mr. Indika Jayashantha (37) giving evidence said "It is now 11 years since we are married.My wife always gets into a terrible temper. On that day I came home ... and after drinking some tea, went to my ancestral home. At about 9 in the night she came there and an argument flared up. Her head had some  small injury ... so at about 10 I applied some medicine. I sleep in the hall while she sleeps in the room with the 2 children.

   In the morning she got ready to go somewhere. When I asked where she was going ... she answered saying that she was going to her mother's place and took the 2 children with her. At about 8.30 I gave her a call. Then she said 'don't tell mother ... I didn't go there ... I am in Kurunegala'. Then when I called from the factory, the charge on her mobile phone had gone down and she said she was going to have it charged and that she is in Kurunegala. I phoned her again after a short while. She said she was on her way to Gampaha. She later spoke to me and asked me not to come to Kurunegala ... to come to Gampaha. I took a bus  to go to Gampaha. I then came by bus to Mirigama. At Mirigama I got a call. Someone at the other end of the phone asked 'a mother with a child had jumped into the train at Veyangoda railway station ... is she your wife?' I promptly came to Veyangoda. Then I came to know that my wife and small daughter were among the dead.

   A letter written by Manjula before her death was recovered by the police. The letter said: 'I am now married for 10 years. The suffering I underwent because of my married life is countless. I can't bear the harm that the children are undergoing ...anymore. I can't  tell these things to my parents and brothers and make them sad ... therefore I am putting an end to my life. I am taking the two children away because they also will have to suffer if they live'.

  Inquiry into the deaths is still not finished. 

 Information -- Tilak Priyadarshana, Menik Radaliyagoda