Pabawathi who comes to Sri Lanka after getting citizenship in Italy; killed and burned -- body on bund of Parapanmulla Wewa!

Pabawathi who comes to Sri Lanka after getting citizenship in Italy; killed and burned -- body on bund of Parapanmulla Wewa!

A woman aged 65 years who had been living in Italy for about 40 years and having secured citizenship of that country had come to her motherland and return here she had been murdered and the burned. A person of 39 years suspected of this crime was apprehended by a posse of policemen from police crime detection unit of Chilaw police  headquarters in Minuwangoda day before yesterday. 

The deceased in this instance is, one Wijeyratna Pabawathi (65), a mother of three children who has acquired citizenship in Italy and had been living in that country for a period of about 40 years. Her
children too are living in Italy for a number of years. The burned body of the victim was beyond recognition and the body was found by police on the bund of Parapanmulla wewa, Kokovila belonging to Chilaw police division and that was last March 2nd. Two of her children who came down to the island mentioned to police that at first sight it appeared that it was their mother's body when the body was lying at the mortuary of Chilaw hospital as an unidentified dead body. 

Parts of the body of the deceased and parts of the body of the two children were subjected to a DNA examination after which it was confirmed that the victim was the mother of the said two children, the former who was burned, a senior police officer told the Lankadeepa. After a mobile phone survey report and from elaborate investigation, the person who is connected to the incident of murdering the woman and burning her body came to light and thus he was taken into custody day before yesterday, on suspicion.

On instructions of Chilaw police headquarters officer in charge, Mr. H.P.Y.W. Herath, inquiries were conducted and the suspect was arrested in Minuwangoda. He was taken into custody by police inspector of crime detection unit, Mr. Sajith Ratnayaka and sub-inspector, Mr. Gamini Wickremasingha accompanied by a team of police officers. The 39 year old suspect who operates as a private bus driver was the father of one child. The woman Pabawathi who was subjected to murder was the owner of about one acre of land in Minuwangoda area. It is understood that Pabawathi had come to know Indika (suspect) through a friend of hers. The woman who arrived in this country from Italy has discussed plans with this person named Indika to erect a children's home in the land concerned; it was revealed when he was interrogated, a police officer said. 

Police said that an issue about a sum of around 2 1/2 lakhs has been taken from the suspect by Pabawathi for this land being transferred to another person from an attorney of power document for the purpose of erecting the children's home as previously discussed which conflict has gone beyond bounds which then resulted in the woman being killed, police say as was revealed by investigations. this woman named Pabawathi who returned to this country from Italy had stayed at a house of a friend of the suspect in Welipenna belonging to Dummalasooriya police division. Arrangements had been made on March 1st to meet a lawyer to transfer ownership of the said land in Minuwangoda belonging to Pabawathi by power of attorney document. On this occasion a dispute has occured between the two after which she had been murdered and was taken in a three-wheeler from Welipennagahamula to Chilaw, Kokowila, Parapathmulla wewa bund where petrol was poured on her body, after which the suspect had fled. The police were able to find the three-wheeler which was utilised to bring the body of the victim to Kokovila wewa bund in Welipennagahamulla area on information acquired by suspect. The suspect was detained under detention orders and further inquiries are underway. 

(Shrinath Prasanna Jayasuriya and Augustine Fernando of Chilaw)