Greed for land ends in tragedy

by Ananda Agalakada and S. Pannila Polgasowita Group Cor,

Ownership of land causes heartache and distress breaking family peace and the unexpected follows. The world then is turned topsy turvy. Forty nine-year-old Anula Herath resided in Swarna Pedesa Kirigampamunuwa ,Kahathuduwa. She was popular with village folk because of her kind and considerate ways and was known as “Nilu Akka”. Shelton Dayapala who was fifty three years was a resident of Sandunpura. He was the fourth in his family and helped his younger brother in his hardware shop in Mattegoda. Life went on as usual and he assisted his brother to develop the hardware shop.

For Nilu Akka life dragged on. There were not many exciting incidents in her life at that time and she was thinking that life was rather boring but sometimes she came to the conclusion that life was peaceful as it was. Then came the exciting part and she saw this hunk of a man who was known as Shelton. She fell head over heels in love with him. He was now the love of her life.

“What will my parents think” was her first reaction if she told them that she had found someone and wanted to marry him. Will they admonish her and ask her to give up the affair were the thoughts revolving in her mind. Later she somehow convinced her parents that Shelton was a good man and would take care of her. Her parents subsequently gave their consent and they had a wedding ceremony where relatives from both sides attended. This was a good twelve years ago. Although several years had passed Nilu was unable to bear a child and this was causing a certain amount of anxiety between man and wife. Relatives too were always asking her about the delay in her conceiving causing her embarrassment at times. After consulting doctors they found that the result was negative they began seeking divine help. Thus the couple visited many temples and other religious places countrywide seeking blessings from the gods so that Nilu would conceive. However these too did not bear fruit. After everything else failed they finally decided to adopt a child.

They went to the extent of legally adopting the girl giving her their names as parents and registering the girl’s birth. The adopted child was a relative’s daughter and was handed over to the childless couple just after birth.

Anula Herath - victim	Shelton Dayapala

The little girl was handed over just a few days after she was born in the hospital itself because the parents of the girl sympathised with the childless couple and knew that Nilu simply adored children. They had no qualms about handing over the baby.

Niu and Shelton were now happy and looked forward to the future with added eagerness. They thereafter bought a 15 perch land which was close to Shelton’s brother’s hardware shop. Since Nilu had also invested to buy that land, the title deeds were written in her name.

Alas their happiness did not last long. After sometime the couple began to quarrel. Their family’s peace and happiness gradually faded. One day after a disagreement over the land Shelton had grappled with Nilu and stabbed her. This was five years ago and she was hospitalised with injuries at the time. However Nilu recovered but she had permanent injuries in one leg and was maimed for life.

Nilu did not give up on life she forgave Shelton and wanted to lead a peaceful life with her husband. Nilu had pleaded many times with her husband to live peacefully as her daughter was growing up and she wished for a bright future for her daughter. The little girl was the love of her life. She looked after her and did everything she possibly could for the girl. But Shelton did not listen to his wife’s pleas. He was a well-built man and was now unnecessarily harassing his wife. He picked on her for every trivial matter.

It was too much for her to bear and she decided to take a drastic step. Nilu thought enough is enough and decided to leave Shelton once and for all and go back to her parents and settle down at her parents’ residence with her daughter in Swarna Pedesa. After the death of her father, her only sister had left the country to go abroad for employment. Their mother who was a bhikkuni and had been living with her. Nilu had utmost respect for her and provided her with all the necessities. Her sister always sent the money for them to live a decent life.

After separating from his wife, Shelton too went back to live with his parent’s in Mattegoda. Meanwhile, whenever Shelton happened to meet Nilu he always demanded that the land should be returned to him. But Nilu did not accede to Shelton’s demands. She dismissed him and spoke to him roughly and on one day told him that him it was only a dream if he thought that he would get the land written in his name. On another occasion Nilu blackguarded Shelton and told him that as long as she was in this world he could never claim ownership to the land.

Shelton was now bitter with Nilu and began plotting to take revenge. On that fateful day, Shelton was waiting at the hardware shop at about 7.30 in the morning . The key to the shop was with a helper and he was waiting for him to bring it to open the doors and start business.

Suddenly he spotted Nilu who was passing the hardware shop. She was returning after taking her daughter to the Daham Pasela. Only Nilu was walking on the road and she then turned into another road which was desolate at the time. Shelton did not think twice he got in to his three-wheeler and followed Nilu. His anger took the better of him and anyway he was planning to take revenge on Nilu . He thought this was the opportune moment. He rammed the trishaw into her without thinking twice. Then Nilu fell after colliding with the vehicle. But she managed to stand up and began to run to escape from Shelton who now was like a demon and was after her.Sheton could not control his fury. He followed Nilu and chased after her. He then got hold of her and stabbed her with a knife. She was now lying in a pool of blood. It was later revealed that Nilu had twenty injuries on her body after being stabbed.

What happened next was, Shelton rushed to his parents’ house and shouted out to his mother saying “I finished Nilu and I too want to go to the next world”. Just after saying this he paused awhile for a few minutes and then consumed liquor laced with some poison and committed suicide in the presence of his parents.