Lovelorn soldier stabs girlfriend, attempts suicide

Nobody in the village of Thibbotuwawa in the Kekirawa area had any inkling of the love affair that was blossoming between a young schoolgirl and a youth in the same village. Nobody ever dreamt that it would end up in a tragedy so quickly. The girl was only 17 years and was preparing for the GCE Advanced Level examinations. Her parents struggled hard to educate her despite their meagre income. She had a dream of entering a university and do further studies and to find a job. She wished to support her parents.

The love affair began almost one and a half years ago when she met a young man from the same village while she was on her way to school.

She was svelte and had a tan complexion and the man was enamoured by her looks and the way she carried herself. He took a keen interest in her and met her almost every day on her way to school and on her way back home during the past two years.

He was a rugged unemployed youth who was not in a position to support a family. The girl was initially reluctant to start an affair with a man who was much older than her. But he followed her wherever she went and forced her to start an affair with him.

It was her first love affair and she had no clue whatsoever about falling in love with an older man. However she kept the affair as a secret from her parents. He was a 26-year-old youth who had joined the Army three months ago.

They wanted to settle down some day when she completes her studies.

Wildfire

The news of their love affair spread like wildfire in Thibbatuwawe. Tongues began to wag.

Some village folk were envious of the young couple. But the young couple could not keep their affair secret for long. When the girl's parents came to know of the clandestine affair they became furious. They admonished their daughter to drop the affair forthwith and concentrate on her studies instead. With much reluctance she agreed to drop the affair and gave an assurance to her parents to that effect a few weeks ago.

The soldier who was on probation returned home to spend some time with his family. He missed his beloved girl while being away from home for several months undergoing gruelling training at an Army camp and eagerly looked forward to seeing her as early as possible. His thoughts were always on her while undergoing training at the Army training centre. After coming home he met her on several occasions but noticed an indifference in her attitude towards him. It was quite evident to him that she had undergone a change all of a sudden without any reason. She wasn't the innocent school girl whom he knew before joining the Army.

He decided to meet her many times and finally met her when she was on her way to school.She told him that it was no longer possible to meet him as her parents had opposed their marriage.

She then politely begged of him to forget her and find somebody else. The remark infuriated him but he kept his cool hoping that she would change her mind later on. When he met her later while on her way back home from school he wanted to discuss their future plans.

Threat

But she did not deviate from her earlier stance. She told him again that her parents were totally opposed to their affair but he insisted that he would never give up her. He then showed the girl one of her naked photographs and threatened to expose her if she dropped him.

The girl informed her mother about the threat.

On September 3 around noon the girl and mother visited the farm colony where Damith Priyadharsana the Army private resided with his parents.

They met his mother and explained to her about their daughter's unwillingness to marry her son.

The encounter resulted in a heated argument between both parties. When the girl accompanied by her mother stepped out of the house, the suspect came from nowhere brandishing a knife and rushed towards the girl.

He then slit her throat with the sharp knife and repeatedly stabbed her nine times.

The girl having slumped on the ground lay in a pool of blood gasping for breath. Her mother also suffered knife injuries while trying to rescue her daughter from the assassin.

The suspect then ran into the kitchen and swallowed some insecticide in the presence of his parents. He fell on the ground gasping for breath.

OIC Crimes Kekirawa police station Inspector M.S. Anwardeen rushed to the scene and despatched the girl with stab injuries and the Army private to the Kekirawa hospital.

According to our group provincial correspondent A.J. Adikari, the girl's parents had made a complaint to the Kekirawa police station.

The girl succumbed to her injuries while Army private was sent to the Anuradhapura hospital where he is recovering.

The victim has been identified as Sashikala Madavei Jayasinghe.