18 year old lover's unexpected death

Murdered .....
for coming near the window to meet lover on the sly

An incident where a young boy of 18 years had been killed by householder of his lover when  having a romantic chat with the girl near the window of her room, which habit has been going on every night was reported from Madigevidiyala area in Kurunegala. Those who were responsible for the boy's murder had tried to give the impression that it was a case of suicide. However, the police were able to find out all connected information regarding the crime after 3 months.

The deceased, Rifad by name was of schoolgoing age and was the youngest of a family of 6 brothers and sisters. He had given up schooling and was having thoughts of conducting a business. As for his young age, he had naturally been drawn towards a schoolgirl and was carrying on an affair with her unknown to the school and householders as well for quite sometime. He had been approaching her on her request and had been engaged in loving dialogues in the nights near the window of her room as a matter of habit and this secret was known only to the two of them. They thus were bound by the mistake resulting in the emotion called love.

But Rifad never thought that his life would be snatched away from him in his youth itself because of this very emotion. On 23rd August Rifad had left home saying that he was going to see a meeting taking place at Vidiyagala junction. Ashe did not turn up even till midnight, that day, Rifad's father Yusoof (60) had informed about this to his children and relatives.

A group of people who went in search of Rifad early morning the following day was able t see the dead body of Rifad hanging from a beam in a shed erected with sheets in Madigevidiyala Muslim School. Everybody in his house began to think whether there is any reason for Rifad to commit suicide.However, nobody was able to find a reasonable answer in that connection. Even to his intimate friends it was a riddle unsolvable. Everybody then began to ponder with suspicion whether anyone had tried to hang his body in a shed in the very same school where he had his education. Because of the North West Provincial Council elections the whole area was heated up with political activities. This was informed to Wariyapola police as well as the coroner, the body being sent for a post-mortem to the Kurunegala hospital. As was the tradition, relatives of Rifad took steps to bury his body at Madigevidiyala Muslim Cemetery the same day.

Though the dead body of Rifad was covered with earth and soil, the true story behind Rifad's death could not be covered with earth and soil.

Rifad's relations once again made a request from the authorities that because of a large mark of an assault was to be observed on his shoulder region; that the two mobile phones in his possession was missing and that there was suspicion about the noose round the neck of the deceased which information was revealed at the post-mortem. Police investigations was then launched on this information and what was most significant in this respect was the telephone numbers of callers to Rifad's mobile SIM. In the meantime, information about Rifad's girl friend began to stream in from here and there. The police were also able to notice certain changes taking place about householders of the girl subsequent to Rifad's death.

The police were successful in being able to uncover the roots of the murder of Rifad whose body was by then covered by soil and earth for a period of 3 months. It was later revealed that this was not a case of suicide but a case of murder and that the body being hanged after being unconscious as a result of the an assault.

Rifad who had set off from home on August 23rd evening had received a call from his lover. As such, he had been to her house and had gone to the window of her room at about 10 that night and while engaged in romantic conversation, the girl's father and a brother had come from behind and had assaulted Rifad. Because of the blow he had fallen unconscious after which the assailants with the aid of another supporter who had come to the house and had kept the body on a motor bicycle and taken him to the school building and hanged him on a beam around midnight. This was revealed by the assailants themselves at the interrogation.

The young man who succumbed to this unfortunate tragedy was 18 year old Y.M. Mohammed Rifad of Madigevidiyale in Bandarakoswatta.

As a consequence of the above results the body of Mohammed Rifad which was buried in Madigevidiyala Muslim Cemetery was exhumed in the presence of Wariyapola Magistrate and District Judge, Mr. A.S.K. Balapatabendi. Parts of the exhumed body were sent to Colombo Judicial Medical Officer's office while the suspects have ben remanded.

Narration and photos -- Bingiriya Somasiri Ekanayaka