Innocent lives snuffed out in their prime

by Ananda AGALAKADA and Godakawela Spl. Cor. K.M.A.K. Weerasinghe

Dimuthu Lakshan

Mahesh Viduranga

Two children of Pallebadde, Kolongasyaya, Godakawela were brutally murdered by a relative and their mother was admitted to the Embilipitiya Hospital with critical injuries in a shocking incident that brought the nation to tears. The father is working at a private company in Ekala, Ja-Ela, staying out of home and facing immense difficulties to upkeep his family. However, all his dreams of providing a secure future for his small family came to naught.

His thirty-two-year-old wife, Ashoka Sarojani looked after their children well earlier, but later on she lost interest in the family because of her extra marital relationship.

Illicit love affair

According to family sources, the teenager Dinesh Chaturanga of Panamure, Embilipitiya had an illicit love affair with Sarojani and used to visit her residence in the absence of her husband.

On that fatal night of September 4, 2012, Dinesh rode his motorbike to his thirty-two-year-old paramour’s house in Pallebadde around 9.00 pm. Only Sarojani and her two sons were in the house at that time.

Sarojani and her teenage paramour were waiting to enjoy themselves when unexpectedly Sarojani’s two sons had come into the scene and witness the two of them together. Dinesh fearing reprisals if the boys exposed him stabbed the two boys with a knife. At that point Sarojani, her motherly instincts surfacing shouted into the night aghast at what her ‘lover’ had done to her beloved children.

Brutality

Dinesh was in a murderous frenzy and his next target was Sarojani. He stabbed her next with the same knife that was used to stab the chidren and after coming to his senses and seeing the abominable acts of brutality he had committed, attempted to escape even without his motorbike.

Sarojani’s wailing was heard by neighbours who were at a Bana preaching at the house of a relation. They rushed to the spot from where they heard the screams and saw teenager covered in blood attempting to flee. They caught him and handed him over to the Godakawela police. Meanwhile, the two small children and their mother Sarojani lay on the ground with blood flowing from the stab wounds on their bodies. Villagers rushed the three victims who were in critical condition to hospital, but it was of no avail.

The two children, Mahesh Viduranga (6) died after being admitted to the Pallebadda hospital. The other child, Dimuthu Lakshan (11) was pronounced dead on arrival at the Ratnapura Hospital. Their mother, Sarojani, whose taste for forbidden fruit was responsible for the deaths of two innocent children, was being treated at the Embilipitiya hospital in a critical condition.

Gruesome murders

“As of late, we have seen several gruesome murders in the Ratnapura District, where some remain unsolved to date. But this time around the villagers caught the murderer `red handed’ because they were paying attention to unusual incidents taking place in their village. If villagers can protect their village in some way and assist the police to carry out their duties without blaming the police, then they are doing a valuable duty, the Officer-in-Charge of the Godakawela police IP Lasantha Dadallage said.

The Godakawela police are conducting further investigations into the murder.