Exorcism goes awry, a young life lost

by Ananda Agalakada and S. Samaragunaratne -Girandurukotte Gr. Cor

Amanda

Jayashantha de Silva, OIC Dehiattakandiya

The world has advanced to unprecedented heights in terms of technology, knowledge and particularly with the advent of the latest wonders of ' high tech', the smart phone and iPads converting the universe into a universal knowledge hub. Irrespective of these developments, many people in our country still live a recluse life as their minds are isolated. It's like the folk tale of a 'frog in the well' not knowing the world beyond the parameters of the well. Some people in our society are just like the frog in the well. Many people in our society are not willing to change their superstitious beliefs and attitudes irrespective of what happens. Superstition is so entrenched in their minds and hearts that they simply cannot see reality and are eclipsed to the truth.

These people are so enticed with witchcraft, black magic (Hooniyam), sacrifice, hobgoblins and evil spirits they believe that such invisible powers could be used to indulge in supernatural activities. In the backdrop of Sri Lanka launching its satellite into space people still believe that supernatural powers and witchcraft could be used to solve problems and cure diseases and ailments.

People having ailments and disease tend to overcome them in different ways. Some seek professional advice. Some seek spiritual redress by indulging in religious rituals. There is another segment who seek the services of exorcists for the same matter. The irony is these exorcists and their acolytes are a bunch of fake masqueraders who are out to cheat and pay out innocent victims. These bogus Kattadiyas use witty tricks to persuade innocent sufferrs to seek redress from them. Blind beliefs thus persuade people to seek remedy from such crooks not only spending vast sums of money but even jeopardizing their own lives.

Rohitha was an eye witness to the incident	Nirosha

As Sigmund Freud said, every person in the world suffers from a psychiatric disorder. This may be true, but this by no means justify witchcraft and rituals. In this backdrop there unravels a sad tragedy that caused the death of a teenager with severe burn injuries, two more were also injured. They were from Kadirapura, Dehiattakandiya.

Sudu Aiya and Sudu Akka (Rohitha Jayalal and Nirosha Kumari ) a couple in a small hamlet lived a quiet life winning the respect of others in the village. However they were under the perception that someone had cast a charm on them. They had spent a lot of money to break the effect but were unable to get rid of it. Villagers say Nirosha Kumari had never spoken Tamil but, after she got into a trace she had spoken Tamil well.

There was a couple in the same village who indulged in exorcism to drive away charms by getting into a trance using spirits of dead people. Nirosha Kumari believed that a dead relative had possessed her. On the night of November 27 a Poya Day, the woman exorcist was summoned to the house of Rohitha Jayalal to drive away the spirit of the dead relative from the bodies of the couple. She had come from Wellawaya to carry out the ritual. They started to carry out the sacrifice. Amanda a fifteen-year-old girl from Kadirapura, Dehiattakandiya and Chandima had come to the scene to assist the possessed couple. The exorcist started to chant mantara by cutting many limes. Nirosha was getting into a trance and she went to the exorcist in a worshipping posture again.

The exorcist had come to know that Rohitha Jayalal walked around the village in a mentally imbalanced manner on Poya Day. The kattandiya had told them to bring 50 limes to cure his sickness. When the rituals commenced, Amanda started dancing in a trance . While Amanda and Nirosha were dancing they started to hoot in a loud manner . Then suddenly Nirosha came out of the house holding the severed necks of Chandima and Amanda.

The scene of the crime

It is then that the gruesome events that had happened unfolded. The exorcists had had pierced a knife into the throat of the teenager and they cut her tongue in the furious trance of a Mahasona devil. After cutting Amanda's throat, the duo had pushed a seven-year-old girl and nineteen-year-old mother of one child into a fire lit to perform the ritual.

As a result of these rituals, a fifteen-year-old girl Amanda from Kadirapura, Dehiattakandiya had to sacrifice her life . Amanda's teacher Manjalee Warnasuriya said wiping tears on her face that Amanda was the most talented student in their school. She had lost her parents' love and protection a long time ago. Her mother is employed abroad.

The couple were arrested and produced before the Dehiattakandiya Magistrate Chamara Wickramanayaka by CI Jayashantha de Silva (OIC Dehiattakandiya) and his officials under the instruction of Senior DIG Pujitha Jayasundara, SSP Ajith Rohana and ASP Priyankara de Silva in Ampara Police Division.