"Gave to drink thoroughly and assaulted with clubs ...

"Gave to drink thoroughly and assaulted with clubs ...

put into the van and set on fire!

Businessman Manjula confesses how Dankotuwa killings were done

It has now been revealed that Navy Kapila together with five others were mysteriously killed and set on fire inside a van recently in Dankotuwa in that manner by a businessman named Manju and his four friends because Navy Kapila had been

from time to time demanding 'kappam' and had been worrying Manju. He had exposed how the murders were carried out at the confession he made yesterday at Kuliyapitiya Courts.

28 year old Manju had for a period of time been involved in supplying firewood on a contract basis for a boiler in a factory manufacturing rubber gloves and which factory was situated in Badalgama area. His father was an agent selling lottery tickets. It is learned that this person called Navy Kapila had been demanding a monthly 'kappam' of Rs. 40000 from him without rhyme or reason and was made to understand that if he was to carry on the business without being a hindrance to various other people in the area that he had to give the 'kappam' in that manner.

The demand for 'kappam' had been going on for the past few months and as a result this person called Manju had been rendered helpless. It is said that he had told about this to his friends on a number of occasions. However because of the fear of Navy Kapila in those in that area, nobody had dared come forward against him. In the same way, Navy Kapila had by that time got hold of businessman in that area and they had palmed Rs. 20000, 30000 'kappam' monthly and Manju had not been able to stand against it either.

What Navy Kapila had phoned Manju on the night of last 9th and told him was that he was on his way via the expressway to collect the monthly 'kappam' due to him this month and for Manju to keep ready 3 bottles of arrak and a bite to be enjoyed that night. Manju had acceded to the request and was ready for it and in the meantime had planned a strategy to free himself from this worry and finally he had struck upon an idea of inviting one Chaminda who was accused for a murder as well as 3 others to come to his house with the plan of assaulting Navy Kapila and carrying out this murder.

As previously planned, Navy Kapila in the company of 4 others had come to Manju's house in Makandura that night and had begun enjoying the drinks. Manju who had pretended to fetch the 'kappam' had said that he was going to bring the cash had actually come out of the house and as a form strategy had instead increased the volume of the songs in the most modern van in which the crowd had arrived. Among those under liquor at that moment there had been five; Navy Kapila, Ratmalane Naina, Peliyagoda Neel and Katane Krishantha alias Soopuwa.

Subsequently, under the drunken stupor each of them had got up and come out to urinate when on each such occasion Manju who had followed them had dealt blows on their heads with an iron rod and thus killed each of them one after the other. After killing them in this way, the dead bodies of the five of them had been dumped into the KDH van bearing PPH 1080 in which they had come and had proceeded to Makandura Sunday Fair location. The van had been driven by Manju while his friends had provided support to the van by riding their motor cycles accompaning the van. The crowd of assailants had dumped the lifeless bodies at the Makandura Sunday Fair location and were preparing to set them on fire. However, fearing that they would be cordoned at that spot by the police they had once again carried the dead bodies and proceeded to an abandoned land at Koshenawatta, Bujjampola in Dankotuwa and had finally set the van on fire with the dead bodies inside after pouring petrol on the vehicle. After doing so they had then returned home.

Two persons had been killed by Navy Kapila before this and old records stand evidence to the fact that a three-wheel driver who was so murdered had been dumped at this very spot by Navy Kapila where this van was set on fire, as if by a stroke of fate. While there are accusations that he was involved in an incident where he had cut and chopped and wounded 2 individuals in Devundera area and in addition when there are 2 allegations against him for rape,he in fact was an island reconvicted criminal. He was also someone who had been imprisoned over an incident of murder and had been released on bail last 1st.

Right at the start, after the attempt by Navy Kapila's wife having come to the relevant spot and had tried to identify the dead body, the police had carried out investigations across telephone calls of Navy Kapila and thus it had been possible to check on the communications he had with Manju. In the process they were possible to uncover information pertaining to the 2 motor cycles mentioned previously, as was noted on CCTV footage as well.

Police had provided protection yesterday and carried out an investigation at the location where  blood stains were observed at Makandura Sathi Pola and businessman Manju was cordoned by the police in the end together with his friends. After the suspects who were taken into custody and were produced before Kuliyapitiya Courts yesterday in relation to this incident had been issued a 24 hour detention order.