Modara: Personal vendetta or robbery?

Police are yet to make any significant breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of 40-year-old, Darshani Nilupa Fernando and assault on her two children and mother-in-law in Modara with several questions including how the assailant had entered the premises remaining unanswered. OIC, Modara Police, Prasad Siriwardena said they had collected some evidence such as a blouse and a pair of running shorts near the victim’s home.

He said they are yet to ascertain whether the suspect had broken in through the front door and hidden within the house waiting for the right time to carryout the attack. He said the attack occurred sometime between 8.30 and 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The husband had arrived on the scene an hour after the gruesome killing.

Police are probing whether the motive for the attack was a personal vendetta but have not ruled out the possibility of an attempted robbery. However, only Mrs. Fernando’s cell phone had been reported stolen while all other valuables had been left untouched.

Colombo North Division Senior Superintendent of Police Jayantha Kulatilaka said the suspect had used a club to assault the four victims although the murder weapon has still not been retrieved. “We are still checking possible entry points by which the suspect could have got into the house.

The suspect could not have climbed the wall and entered the premises as there is a high parapet wall,” he said. SSP Kulatilaka said the three victims who survived the attack, including Mrs. Fernando’s 65 year old mother-in-law, were still in hospital receiving treatment and Police are yet to speak to them to record statements.

The post mortem on Mrs. Fernando was conducted by Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), Dr. K. Manoranjan who ruled that the victim had died from head injuries sustained by heavy beating causing internal haemorrhaging. This incident comes in the wake of an escalating crime rate in Sri Lanka.

Ramani Thotagamuwa, Director of the National Centre for Victims of Crime (NCVC), said that in comparison to reported incidents of 21 major crimes in 2005, the rate had increased steadily over the years. She said that criminal offences had risen to more than 61, 00 in 2006 from 49,000 in 2005.

“There is an upward trend in the crime rate in many parts of Sri Lanka while the increase of reported cases of incest is of particular concern,” she said adding that the public has little faith in local authorities taking appropriate action on criminals resulting in many victims looking to alternate means of revenge.

“Awareness is a key component in reducing these crime rates and the public must be educated on how to be alert to their surroundings as well as the importance of reporting the crimes ,” she said.

Mrs. Thotagamuwa said that apart from providing legal assistance to victims, especially women and children, the NCVC is also taking active measures to offer psychological help to those who are traumatized by certain crimes such as rape and assault. Commenting on the crime scene in Colombo, Director of the Colombo Crime Division (CCD), SSP Sarath Lugoda said there was a significant drop in the crime rate in Colombo.

He said that this could be attributed to the tightened security, army checkpoints and random house checks being conducted by police within the city limits.“Apart from a few high profile cases in the area, the number of reported crimes has reduced due to the efforts of the armed forces and the local police,” he said. SSP Lugoda said that the main challenge faced by the police in recent times was the easy availability of Cellular Phone SIM cards as well as the forging of National Identity Cards.

“Cellular phones are the most recently discovered weapons for criminals and terrorists and the public’s easy access to acquiring SIM cards has been a major concern to the security forces,” he said. He said although a SIM card can be easily acquired from any service provider here most foreign countries were very cautious in handing out such connections.

SSP Lugoda also stressed that the public should be more vigilant about their surroundings and should inform the police or any local authority of suspicious-looking vehicles or people.“The trust between the people and the police is deteriorating but the public should provide information to the police or even to a single officer that they trust. Fulfilling their social duties will help the police reduce crime even further,” he said.

The Sunday Times learns that many crimes such as rape and assault were not reported to the police because many of the victims were afraid or ashamed to come forward.“If the victims are reluctant to take criminals to courts then the courts are unable to deliver the necessary punishment on criminals. The public and some policemen have to be educated on the law as well as the judiciary system,” he said.