Delgoda horror: Family of 6 slain in sleep

By Asif Fuard

In one of the goriest crimes of recent years, two little children and four other members of one family were hacked to death while they were asleep at their house at Meegahawatta, in Delgoda yesterday, Police said.

Police believe a land dispute with a relative may have led to the brutal attack and are questioning neighbours in a bid to identify and track down the killers.

Police crime scene investigators collecting evidence at the site of the Delgoda massacre. Pic by Saman Kariyawasam

Police said they had found evidence of a dispute between the family and a relative over a 32-perch land at Kandugoda.

The victims have been identified as K.W.M Tilakaratne, his wife S.A Ramyalatha, their sons K.W.M Dilshan (4), K.W.M Lakshan (3), their daughter K.W.M. Dinusha (12) and the children’s grandmother S.A.D Pamavathi.

Mr. Tilakaratne’s two little children were in pre-school while his daughter was in grade 7 of a local school.

Evidence so far indicated that the three killers armed with swords had broken in through the back door and hacked the family, detectives said.

They were struck on the forehead and five died instantly while the 12-year-old Dinusha died in hospital.

Mr. Tilakaratne’s brother, Saman, said he had visited the house and had dinner with the ill-fated family on Friday around 9.30.
Unaware that it would be their last meal together, they chatted over dinner and Mr. Tilakaratne took his brother back home on his motorbike around 10 p.m.