Body of Chandrani who disappeared surfaces from a lake

Body of Chandrani who disappeared ....

surfaces from a lake!

The dead body of the mother of three children of Kotakethana,

Kahawatta reported missing by the media early last morning was discovered this afternoon from Kotakethana Ela, police said.

On information received about the disappearance of this woman, the Police, the Navy, the Special Task Force and such security forces together with villagers in the area were engaged in a search and it was as a result that the suspected body was found in Kotakethana Ela. The woman who was missing was a mother of three children aged 39 years by the name of Chandrani Swarnalatha. When the incident took place in the night she had been inside the house sleeping with her young son while her husband had been at a funeral house at a neighborhood house in the company of his twin brother. Shortly before the woman's husband had left the house, the twin brother had purchased some items necessary for the house and had gone to his house. The woman's husband who had come home around one, early morning yesterday had addressed his wife; but as there was no response he had entered from the front door which was ajar and had looked inside the house when he realized that his wife was not in. On that occasion his 12 year old young son had been sleeping in the front room of the house. Later on checking up he had observed some blood stains on the mat which was hanging in the hall where his wife had probably slept. When inspecting further, some large blood stains were seen near the back door which was left open. Later they had informed about this to Kotakethana Police Guard Room.

As soon as the incident came into the ears of the police, Kahawatta Police had arrived at the scene and commenced investigations; however they were unable to uncover any information connected to the woman. Last evening as the police official dog Zina had approached the house of the twin brother of the missing woman's husband, the police had interrogated him at length. The police had been able to notice some locks of hair cut off with a bill-hook in the vicinity of the back door where blood stains were noticed.

Though two people had been sleeping in a shed very close to this house, they had not heard any shouts. Subsequently officers of Kahawatta Police, officers of Kotakethana Police Guard-room together with villagers in the neighborhood had launched a special operation in search of the missing woman. It was in that manner that she was found this afternoon.

Even the Kotakethana Guard-room was in seeing-distance to this house while Opatha Estate is situated behind the house concerned. A hut which had been in a wel-yaya close to the house had been set on fire by some persons two or three days before. The neighborhood say that a part of another house in Kotakethana area had been subjected to fire some days before this incident. An incident of removing electric bulbs while burning during night time also was reported.

The missing woman and her husband were those who earned a living by  cutting and collecting 'keera' plants in Kotakethana area and then selling them.The incident in question had happened at a time when their eldest child was engaged in work in Colombo while the second child had been at a relative's home.

Further investigations are underway regarding the incident. It must be said that prior to this woman's disappearance 15  Kotakethana female murders had occurred in recent times.