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| Sunday, 14 November 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Two horrifying murders that shocked the nation Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe Two horrifying murders were reported from Pannipitiya and at Padaviya last week that shocked the nation owing to its ruthlessness where two innocent people in the prime of their life were done away with by assassins. Apart from these two incidents there were other murders as well at Maharagama and at Kandana. At Maharagama a security guard was shot to death by an unknown assassin while he was having a telephone conversation. Maharagama police said that they are investigating whether the shooting was a result of a family dispute. Several members of his family from the South have been killed previously, Police said. At Kandana a man was shot dead and another was seriously wounded while travelling in a vehicle. Both men have been identified by the Police as suspects in a murder case. The two most harrowing killings were reported from Maharagama and Padaviya. The residents of Pannipitiya were in a state of shock when they heard Sujeewa Perera, the Finance Manager of Bodyline Garment factory, Horana was shot dead by two robbers who demanded his brand new car worth more than two million rupees. In fact the company had provided him the car on the previous day. The murder took place around 10.30. p.m. opposite the main gate of his house at Pannipitiya. As he got down from the car to open the gate two men armed with pistols sprang at him and demanded his car. He refused to hand over the car to the robbers which led to an argument. Sujeewa Perera had to grapple with the robbers when they forcibly tried to get into the car. However the two robbers managed to get inside the vehicle and shot Sujewa before driving off with the car. Perera instantaneously slumped into the ground with bleeding injuries and later succumbed to his injuries. According to Police the incident took place after Sujeewa Perera returned home with his wife and his six month-old infant after attending a dinner at his mother-in-law's residence at Mirihana. He had only been married for three years. Army deserter On a tip received by the OIC Alawwa Police station, a police party managed to arrest two men and a woman travelling in the stolen car of Sujeewa Perera in the Alauwa town. Alawwa Police later handed the suspects to Homagama Police for further investigations. Police sources say that an underworld gang from Nugegoda were responsible for Sujeewa Perera's death and for robbing his car. Meanwhile the Police are looking for an Army deserter involved in the robbery and the killing, who is absconding. The same gang had previously robbed several luxury vehicles which they had sold to persons living in uncleared areas of the North. It was revealed that Sujeewa Perera's vehicle was robbed for the purpose of robbing a jewellery shop in Giriulla. However the gang changed their plans at the last minute owing to the murder. According to Alawwa Police one person involved in the robbery and murder at Pannipitiya was found in the car with his girlfriend. They were driving about in Allawwa town when the police arrested them. The third person found in the car was a driver employed by the gangster as he was unable to drive a car. Underworld gangs Police exposed a racket this year where stolen luxury vehicles from Colombo were sold to persons in uncleared areas. The underworld gangs were responsible for stealing luxury models like Pajero-Intercoolers, Toyota Land Cruisers, Nissan and other models to be sent to uncleared areas. More than 1,000 vehicles were stolen in 2003 alone. The other horrifying killing was reported from Padaviya where Doctor Gayantha Waduge's wife Nalika Wanigatunga was strangled to death from a cord of an electric iron by assassins who gained access to the house through a rear entrance. Dr. Waduge was not at home when the incident took place. She was alone in the house when the horrible thing happened to her.According to Police her body was found on a bed with both hands tied behind her body and with a bed sheet tied around her mouth. There weren't any visible marks on her body to show a struggle with the robbers. The assassins had not removed any valuables from the house. However the motive for the killing was not found as yet and the police are working on it. Nalika Wanigatunga is a graduate of the Moscow University who was expecting employment in the State sector. Prior to this incident her house was burgled and cash worth Rs. 5,000 and two rings were stolen. It was learnt that there was displeasure between Dr. Waduge and another doctor who worked in the same hospital. The latter had threatened Dr. Waduge on an earlier occasion to which a compliant was lodged at the Padaviya hospital. Police have not yet made any arrests so far. |
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