Sewmini commits suicide over obscene photo-chip issue

Teacher scolds for fear of photos which 'baas' took by peeping into room ... leaking out, and student commits suicide

It is reported from Ragama area of an incident of suicide by a 15 year old female student jumping in front of a moving train for having been threatened and intimidated over an issue of 2 teachers in her school who were involved in a homosexual behaviour inside a room in a house which incident was photographed from a mobile phone camera by a 'baas' and the memory chip had been given to the girl concerned. The 2 teachers had been scared that this story would be leaked out by this student.

The victim is Sewmini Apeksha, a student of Year 10 studying at St.Mary's College, Hapugoda, Ragama.

It is clear that she had umped in front of the train and committed suicide not being able to bear the serious mental pressure inflicted on her by a certain teacher in her school, as revealed by evidence collected so far.

Sewmini Apeksha who who was living in Podikumbura area in Ragama has an elder and younger brother and is a student who displayed skills in both studies as well as sports. Sewmini who maintained cordial relationships with teachers in the school had told a certain teacher in her school that she knows about a chip-card which contained some obscene photos of another teacher in the school.   This news which fell on the ears of that teacher had upset her and had seriously punished this student. Subsequently the latter had been directed to the Principal too and when questioned about the incident,the frightened girl had said that she is unaware of a chip-card containing any such photos.

The girl's father, Mr. Reginald Silva mentioned that 2 teachers had visited his house to retrieve the said chip-card in the company of his daughter during school hours.  During that period the parents had not been in the house and only the girl's uncle Mr. Gamini Alwis had been in. A teacher who was upset had come with another teacher and explained matters to the girl's uncle.At that point he had told the girl to hand over that chip to the teacher if at all it was there. Even while in the house Sewmini was unable to trace the chip concerned and it is learned that she had touched the feet of the 2 teachers and promised to hand it over in the evening .... all this in the presence of her uncle. The teacher was queried: "What is in that miss .... an obscene scene?" to which she had replied, "That's no use .... I won't be able to live in this town .... this must be found somehow or other!"

it is understood that this teacher had taken the girl once more to school and after taking her to the principal's room and other teachers'rooms and she had been thoroughly reprimanded. Sewmini whose mind was so trampled by the threats of the Principal and teachers had finally instead of going home after school at 1.30 that afternoon had gone to Ragama, Walpola area and jumped in front of an approaching train and thus committed suicide as is clear from the evidence so far gathered.

this is what the deceased's uncle Mr. Gamini Alwis had to say about the incident: "I was at home when the 2 teachers came with the girl. Respecting the teaching professing, I told duwa to give it to the teacher if at all there is something like that. When she was being escorted back to school, I told them to drop Sewmini back home. The teacher agreed .... but did not keep her word. By about 1.30 I went near the school. even by that time duwa had come along a different route. Later I came to hear about someone who had umped in front of a train. What we found was duwa's corpse. the teacher had frightened duwa in a terrible way.That's why this happened. Please do justice .... legally".

Those who were witnesses to the accident said that Sewmini closed her ears with her hands and ducked, standing on the centre of the railway track. Unconfirmed reports of evidence say that there was a lady dressed in sari close to the victim. It is still not known whether she is a teacher who threatened her or someone else. 

The deceased's relatives, parents of students and people in the area had launched a protest yesterday (9) displaying banners depicting the victim's figure, in front of the school demanding that the teacher responsible for the suicide be interdicted and produced before courts.

A crowd of approximately 1,500 had joined in the protest and about 100 police officers from Kandana and Ragama had been deployed on that occasion to protect the school.

The zonal Education Department Director after discussing with the Principal, the school staff and a relative of the victim for a long period said that he would begin an investigation into this incident with the Department of Education and that he would not hesitate to bring suspects in front of the law and thus dispersed the crowd gathered.

Though it is reported that a memory-chip where homosexual behaviour between 2 teachers was captured by camera of a mobile phone by a 'baas' who happened to peep into a room through a window was handed over to this student, information about this episode is still on an inquiry level. Has that chip in her possession gone into someone else's hands already? This is a question which still remains unsolved or reported and if the reason for these teachers to get upset is in reality a case of obscene behaviour between the two of them .... that very reason itself would end up as a sensation.