Lawyer saves life of disabled soldier trying to commit suicide!

Lawyer saves life of disabled soldier trying to commit suicide!

An attorney-at-law attached to Anuradhapura High Courts was able to save the life of a disabled Army soldier all set to commit suicide  by keeping his neck to the train which happened to be travelling along the Northern route, day-before-yesterday (18).

This disabled soldier around 40 years of age and living in Anuradhapura Nirawiya area has become dejected over a clash that has taken place with his wife and was on the verge of ending his life by placing his neck to the express train plying

from Colombo to Vavuniya when a lawyer, Mr. Rohana Premalal Hettiarachchi engaged in relaxation activities near the cross road close to the Northern Railway Line had seen him and thus gone into action to rescue his life.

The said lawyer had this to say: "Every evening I engage in physical exercises by walking along the road. I got late to do so last 18th because I had to attend a certain function. While walking along the by-lane going towards Swarnapali Balika Vidyalaya opposite Anuradhapura Post Office at about 8 in the night I saw a person stretched out flat and keeping his neck to the rail track. I knew that in a short time a train would traverse along that Northern Railway track. On having a close look I noticed him frothing from the mouth. As I suspected that somebody had killed him and had put him on the rail track, I felt a bit scared to touch him. Later when having a closer look at him I noticed that he was breathing. I then told him to move away from the rail track. Since he showed no positive response I spoke in a stern voice and pushed him away from the railway line with my foot.

The young man then reprimanded me in harsh words. I noticed that he was with an artificial leg. As I thought that he was a disabled soldier I addressed him in a cordial manner and asked, "Putha ... aren't you a disabled soldier?" and why he was trying to commit suicide. He then replied saying that he had served the Army and because of a conflict with his wife he had come there after having resolved that he would end his life by keeping his neck to the train. Subsequently I explained matters to him saying, "You have lost a limb by trying to rescue the nation. Lives of people like you is of great value to us".

As the disabled soldier sin any case showed no sign of moving away from from the railway track I hastened to give a telephone call to Anuradhapura Police. The police officer who responded to the call said, "There are no officers available at this time". I then took steps to call Anuradhapura Railway Station. The officer there who answered the call told me to inform the police. At that moment I told a person walking along the road to help move him away. "Aney aiyya taking those things on our head ... can't go behind the police". So saying he went away. Not even 5 minutes passed by after that moment, the express train from Colombo to Vavuniya passed by.

I suspected that he would jump in front of the train coming after that; so I remained at that same place. Whatever it is, when the police officers turned up, about 20 minutes had elapsed after that train had passed by. The officers who came there inspected this person and managed to recover the three-wheeler in which he had come, the purse lying on the front seat of that vehicle and the national identity card and as he was in a highly intoxicated state the police took action to take him away".