Murderers involved in second murder of mother and daughter in Kahawatta

Murderers involved in second murder of mother and daughter in Kahawatta .....

released of conviction and freed

The case regarding the second murder incident of mother and daughter after both being raped in

Kahawatta in the month of July in 2012 was heard today in courts and all three suspects who were in jail were dismissed as not guilty of the crime and then freed on the grounds that the evidence was of a contradictory nature.

At the time Dharmasiri of Kahawatta and others who were in jail under suspicion those days over an incident of transporting drugs and allegedly murdering a mother and daughter in the month of January that year, news spread around that this mother and daughter were killed with the motive of covering up the incident giving the impression that the two of them were murdered as just another case of the wave of murders that swept over Kahawatta that time.

Namal Chaminda Silva, Sisira Priyantha and Lokugamhewage Mihila who were the suspects of this crime as having been involved in murdering Liyanaarachchi Premawathi (67) the mother and Hewagamage Pushpakumari (23) the daughter by setting fire to their bodies have been dismissed of guilt and freed today. What Mrs. Devika Tennakoon, Colombo High Courts Judge had said in this connection was that the Criminal Investigation Department has not carried out proper investigations in this respect .... that since the evidence provided by the accomplice in relation to the murder and who was appointed as the witness for the State has not tallied with the evidence given prior to being so appointed and for that reason the defendant cannot be punished on a particular suspicious statement made. As such, all witnesses were freed by her.

The said murder it was presumed, as having been committed by the provincial council member Dharmasiri at his own necessity as well as that of some others including his brother. He was in fact the Co-ordinating Secretary of former Minister John Seneviratna. Mihila who was freed today is a brother of Dharmasiri. According to the confession made those days by Siripala who was made the State witness in this case, these suspects connected to this incident had been taken into custody and imprisoned. This mother and daughter who had done no harm to anybody had been raped and murdered by them with the motive of displaying a false wave of murder, thus leading the police astray and then with the stupid notion of providing the opportunity for the two suspects in jail to secure bail.

When Premawathi and Pushpakumari were murdered and their dead bodies were burning inside a room in the house on the night of July 18th 2012, villagers who rushed to put out the fire came to know about these killings. This person called Siripala working as a labourer in the village too had taken a big hand in extinguishing the fire for the villagers also to see was in fact directly connected to these murders but though the police initially suspected him, he had at the beginning put on a different act to lead the police astray. Later on at police interrogation he had told that one Nilantha had been entertaining revengeful thoughts about the deceased woman and therefore Nilantha could be suspected. It however was found to be a hoax. However, in the presence of police interrogation at length what Siripala had confessed was the truth at the beginning, of how the murders were committed which is as follows:

                                                   "Sir .... this contract was given to us earlier by the provincial council member of Godakawela, Mr. Dharmasiri and Raju who are in jail now. Because they wanted to get bail they told to kill the mother and daughter. They have two younger brothers called Mihila and Thushara. They are the ones who prepared the plan for this. It was when they were searching for a person to enter Pemawathi Akka's house that Namal malli told them about me. It's because I have attended to cleaning labour-work frequently in that garden. The job that Namal Malli does is painting vehicles. The contract was given to him saying that one lakh would be given to him. Wanting to involve me in this, Namal asked me to come home. Didn't say for what at the start. I was told to come to Namal's home the day before planning the murder. At that place Namal showed me blue films. 'You can do many, many things with Pushpa', so saying he stimulated me with ideas. I was told that if this job is done, 10,000 would be given to me. So I agreed.

The following day I went to Premawathi Akka's house and asked for work and cleared up the garden. It was decided to kill the mother and daughter at about 12. Mr. Mihila and Mr. Thushara came to my home fully drunk. Then it was about twelve thirty. There was a half a bottle of kerosene oil in Mr. Namal's hand. Mr. Thushara asked me for the bill-hook that was with me. After that Mr. Thushara put on gloves into his hands. Landing a lie I was told to go to Pemawathi's house first of all. We set off at about twelve forty. When I was going close to Pemawathi Akka's home two fellows were posted to spy around. Went near the house and I tapped at the door and said, 'Pemawathi Akke .... my wife had suddenly got sick .... can I get the money for the work I did today?' For that Pemawathi Akka opened the door. Just then I pushed akka down. She looked as if she lost her consciousness and fell to the ground. For this noise Pushpa also came forward from inside the house saying 'amme'. Mr. Thushara chopped on Pushpa's head with the bill-hook which was in his hand. Pushpa fell down on the spot and began wriggling. When Pushpa was trying to get up Mr. Thushara once again started chopping and that time the fingers on her hand were severed and got dismembered. It was after that we raped of them.

After that both of them were dragged inside a room in the house. Pushpa started bleeding from the head. The entire room was bathed with blood. Kept some rags on the head and stopped the flow of blood. By that time both were dead. After that clothes, pillows and mats were dumped onto their bodies and poured kerosene oil on them and set fire. When the fire started blazing we fled from the place. Later waited till the villagers came to the place and then we came there once again.

When the villagers extinguished the fire at the incident which took place on July 18th 2012 and started searching the house the dead bodies of the two females who had been burnt to death from this fire were found. The floor of one room was covered with blood. Pushpa Kumari who was subjected to murder was a young unmarried girl. She had been employed at a gold jewellery shop in Kahawatta area. She had 2 brothers and 1 sister. It was said that all of them were unmarried.

Premawathi who too was murdered had lost her husband a few years before this and she had lived in this house together with this unmarried daughter. They were living in a house which stood in a coconut land of about an acre while Mrs. Premawathi in addition, it was understood, was the owner of a number of paddy lands.

Based on Siripala's testimony the other suspects were taken into custody by the police. As he had admitted his guilt the court case was taken up with Siripala being made the State witness. However, the testimonies he had given later in courts had differed from what he had said previously. Therefore, he cannot be believed and punishment be given to the others, the lady judge remarked today.

This murder would be buried with this verdict declared today.