The Unfortunate Traveller: A Tragedy Born of Fear and Misunderstanding

Colombo–Welimada buses are known for their long winding night rides. But for 34-year-old Ramachandran Puwaneswaran, fondly called Murali, a simple journey turned into a nightmare—and ultimately, a tragedy that shocked an entire community.

Murali, a resident of Rothschild Estate in Pussellawa, had boarded a bus to return home. Somewhere along the way, he dozed off. By the time he awoke, he had overshot his stop and found himself in Ramboda, in the chill of the early hours—around 2.00 a.m.

Confused and alone, Murali decided to look for a relative in the area. Lost in the darkness, he knocked on a door hoping for directions or help. But what followed was a cruel twist of fate. Mistaking him for a robber, the household raised alarm. Within minutes, villagers had rushed out, tied him to a tree, and beaten him severely.

The Kotmale Police later established his innocence, releasing him on police bail after a medical examination and escorting him back to his estate relatives. It seemed the ordeal had ended.

But a second wound cut deeper than the first: a video of the assault, filmed and spread on social media by those who had attacked him, began circulating. Humiliation, despair, and stigma overwhelmed Murali. Unable to bear the shame, he took his own life by hanging.

His parents had already passed away; his only sister lived elsewhere. Alone in grief, Murali’s life ended not by crime or accident, but by fear, misunderstanding, and the cruelty of digital echo chambers.

OIC Kotmale Police Vajira Ratnayake is leading investigations, but for the villagers—and the nation—the case has left uncomfortable questions: How quickly do we judge strangers? How easily does fear turn to violence? And how mercilessly can social media replay human suffering until the victim breaks?