Illicit love affairs end in murder - Part 2

by Justice P.H.K. Kulatilaka

The mother's evidence that the accused had told her that her daughter would have run away with a boy and had refused to record her statement that her daughter had failed to come home, evidence of the villagers living around Kithagama junction hearing the sound of a vehicle and seeing a fire by the road side that night, the discovery by her father at the place where the fire had been of a partly burnt nickel talisman warn by her daughter and a partly burnt underwear (all of which were handed over to the CID), subsequent discovery of a part of a skull close to the crime scene which according to a senior lecturer in forensic medicine was that of a woman below 30 years, in their totality went to corroborate the eye witness who was a buddy of the Inspector.

Thus the prosecution was able to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the Kobeigane beauty was murdered by Inspector Samarakoon at Kithagama junction in Kobeigane on January 25, 1989.

In Kelaniya University murder case the identity of the killer and the victim posed no problems. Both were undergraduates of the Kelaniya University. Maduwanthi a beautiful village damsel in her early twenties was killed on her way to the examination hall inside the campus on April 25 1992 by her lover Premalal in broad daylight. He had then attempted suicide by swallowing poison.

Why were they murdered?

Lilian the victim in Wirawila case had been married in 1946. But after the birth of the first child (a son) she had left her husband leaving the son with him. At the time she was employed with some private doctors in Matara.

Mistress

After that Lilian befriended Sugathadasa a wealthy copra dealer in Matara and became his mistress around 1953. A child (daughter) was born out of that union. Apparently it was this girl who was found unhurt on the tank bund.

Very soon Sugathadasa lost interest in Lilian. She went to live in a rented out room owned by Babun Nona. By then she had become unemployed and lie had become miserable. She filed a maintenance case but it was abated.

Sugathadasa got married in 1954. Lilian threatened to go to courts again. Lilian had become a problem to Sugathadasa. His friends tried to make out a settlement.

Babun Nona testified that Lilian left her room soon after midday meal around 2 p.m. on January 30 dressed in her nurse's uniform along with her child.

The meeting for a settlement took place around 4.30 p.m. the same day at a friend's house. She was willing to settle the matter for Rs. 1,000 but Sugathadasa was prepared to compromise only for Rs. 500 and insisted that she should give him a letter starting that the maintenance case was field at the instance of his enemies and that he was not the father of the child. Lilian became indignant and refused to compromise. Lilian's refusal for the compromise sealed her fate.In Kobeigane beauty queen murder case soon after Nilanthi was crowned beauty queen OIC Samarakoon taking advantage of his position fell in love with this poor girl, daughter of a coconut plucker.

He was quite a smart young man. He used to take her around in his jeep even to his quarters where he was living alone. This was the period when JVP insurrection was at its worst. Nilanthi appeared to be proud of being his lover. She loved him with her heart and soul.

One of his letters to her read as follows "Somehow or the other the thing happened, even without my knowledge you got my love". It transpired in her mother's evidence that she had noticed signs of pregnancy.

Nilanthi's parting words to her mother were that she was 'expecting a child in her womb due to the actions of Loku Mahattaya'. The accused wouldn't have expected that Nilanthi would get pregnant by him. He knew his whole career would be over unless he destroyed her. That sealed her fate.

Examination

Maduwanthi was one year senior to Premalal. When Premalal was a first year student she had expressed her love to him. Premalal was only interested in his studies for he wished to be a lecturer. Anyway she managed to impress on him and they became serious lovers. She started this affair while she was continuing an earlier affair in the village. Premalal was unaware of it. She never thought blowing hot and cold was going to destroy her.

When she came to her final year she secretly married the village lad. Even her father had come to know it only after her death .

To be continued