Kite brawl goes too far ... both father and son slain!
Saying that flying a kite caused disturbance to neighbours and when an exchange of words had flared up, a conflict which arose in Gamangedera area, Minuwangoda as a consequence, ended up with a father and son being cut and chopped unfortunately by another father and son with some others day-before-yesterday.
Around 8 in the morning a group of children who were engaged in flying kites in front of his house in a noisy manner were asked to stop it and the response was "We're sending kites on the road no ...
you'll have no problem no!" This comment has aroused a conflict as a result and that was the beginning of the gruesome climax. Those who were involved in this conflict were close relatives identified as uncle and grandfather and some misunderstanding which existed for a long period of time once again became refreshed because of this kite issue.
The said murder has taken place on the road in front of the main suspect's house. The father of 4 children who died was a person who was a dry fish vendor who used to go on his motor bicycle for that purpose. His son who too died had been employed in an institute dealing in monetary transactions of one of his relatives in Divulapitiya and was 20 years of age. The dead son had been flying kites in the company of some neighbouring children when this exchange of these words had occured. Having heard the confusion the father who was on his way in the morning on his dry fish business had got involved in this friction and had come to the spot where this argument was taking place and had then argued over the matter. In this instance various matters of a past dispute was brought to life and the argument has gone beyond bounds when people in the house had armed themselves with swords and knives and had committed the murder. It was Lal Premasiri Silva the father with four children and son Suraj Dananjaya Silva who gave theirv lives in this case.
The younger daughter of the deceased father, Shanika Chandramali (16) had this to say to the police regarding the murders: "the deceased father dropped two elder sisters at Yatiyana Junction and returned. Both elder sisters go to work at Katunayaka. After dropping them, having returned home he set off in his bike on his dry fish business after having beakfast at about 8 o'clock. After a short while on leaving home father was heard yelling 'ammo'. I, my elder brother who died and mother rushed towards the spot where father was yelling. By that time father was seen fallen in front of Ralahamy's house on the road. Those of Ralalahamy's family was surrounding father with swords and knives. A grandfather was seen attacking father with a club. I saw a person there chopping father with a sword. Another person who was there had a sword in his hand. He also chopped father with the sword. A person who had a knife chopped father with the knife. The females who were there kicked father who had fallen down. When we rushed forward to rescue father, a person who was there attacked elder brother with a club. Just then the person who chopped father with the sword chopped elder brother also with the sword. Those who had clubs in their hands struck elder brother with clubs. I and mother were treated with harsh words and they approached us to hit us.
When father and elder brother were lying in a pool of blood, so many eople came there. We shouted. Our Chooty Baappa then came there in a van and put father and elder brother into it and took them to Minuwangoda Hospital. I and mother came in the van to the hospital. Even when brought to hospital the doctors said that father and elder brother were dead".
Police say that both of them had been attacked on the head with sharp instruments. Another father and son had come to Minuwangoda Police concerning the father - son homicide and surrendered themselves day-before-yesterday with another person and these 3 suspects are expected to be produced before Minuwangoda Magistrate Court yesterday (27).