Kimbulapitiya murder revealed

Kimbulapitiya millionaire's murder .....
revealed from hand-signals

The proprietor of Kimbulapitiya Estate was brutally and mysteriously murdered on December 18th last year.

The neighbours initially suspected that it was an act of drug addicts. However, information has now been received that the reason for the murder was a plan implemented by the children with the motive of grabbing the property.

The brutally murdered was 72 year old Edirisingha Aarachchige Navaratna. Navaratna was a father of 2 male children. It was by a stroke of fate that he had become a millionaire. It was learnt that he was in police service at one time. One day he had volunteered to help a foreigner to take photographs during the Kandy Esala perahera and later he had consented to accept a position as the foreigner's chauffeur being a loyal employee of this foreigner. As time passed by, after the death of the foreigner Navaratna became the owner of Kimbulapitiya Golden Heaven Estate.

But all efforts taken by Navaratna to give a good education to the children and thus turn them into socialised citizens failed. The children began to lead a life of luxury from the earnings of the estate. Tyronne Navaratna was the eldest son. He got married to a foreigner. The youngest son happens to be Gihan Navaratna. After his marriage he lived with his father in the walauwwa. The mother died in the year 2006. It is learnt that her death too is of a mysterious nature.

The two children had made it a habit of selling the land during the past and had thus squandered the money. Navaratna, the father had therefore spent his life in disappointment. Within a short period of time, the eldest son had sold 8 1/2 acres while the other son in turn had sold 18 acres. Gihan Navaratna had been in the habit of quarreling frequently with the father, demanding the property.    

By that time the children were made to understand that old Mr. Navaratna was having plans of selling the remaining plot of land and build a home for the aged in Anuradhapura where he also would live.

There happened to be one Anura who had maintained a close relationship with Gihan and both of them used to have frequent boozing parties. One day Gihan spoke about his hideous plan of murdering his own father to Anura, with the motive of acquiring the property. Gihan promised Anura with a reward of 100 lakhs. Finally Anura managed to get the support of an accomplice of a person in Doowa area for the murder to be committed and Anura had promised to give a few lakhs to his Doowa friend.

A day when Mr. Navaratna was to beat home was to be notified by Gihan to Anura. Subsequently Gihan together with his wife and children had left the house on 18th December. Thus it was only the father who was isolated at home that day.

Anura and his Doowa friend who accepted the contract of murdering Mr. Navaratna had surreptiously entered the estate. It was a moment when Mr. Navaratna was engaged in setting fire to some garbage in the garden. One of the killers then promptly jumped on the old Mr. Navaratna's body and had begun to wrestle with the old man. His accomplice had then proceeded to cover Mr. Navaratna's face with a bed-sheet and strangle him to death. When the killer's had even after realising that their victim had died, had even gone to the extent of assaulting the victim on his ribs.

Later, Anura had told that they had completed the assignment handed them and had asked for the money promised. It is said that the killers had received only a sum of 2,500 on behalf of the murder. 

Even at the location of the funeral the suspects had been present and behaving as if they were unaware of anything that had taken place. During this time, Anura the first suspect had at one time signalled Gihan by hand and asked for the money. This hand gesture caught the eyes of hawk-eyed policemen who were there, disguised in civil uniform.

Tragically though, on the day after the final rites of deceased Edirisingha Aarachchige Navaratna was over, the youngest son Gihan, the architect of the murder had committed suicide by drinking poison. He was later admitted to Gampaha hospital.

The Investigation Unit of Negombo Division already had taken the suspects into custody. After being produced before Negombo Courts, they have been ordered to be remanded until 23rd of this month.

Information:  S. Fernando -- Negombo