Untimely fate befalls wife

By Ananda Agalakada

The guiding force behind children are their parents. Children sometimes lose their way early in life when either or both of them are not there to guide them during the formative years. Thus it is important for parents to act responsibly without giving vent to their trivial desires when they have young children.

The house Anusha stayed last

The following story gives an idea how tragedy can strike when parents do not heed their responsibilities and allow petty desires to cloud their judgement. Anusha Chamini Jayathilaka from Bakamuna was a mother of two girls.

The 32 -year-old Anusha would not have in her wildest dreams imagined that she would have to bid farewell to her beloved daughters and husband so early. No one could have predicted the tragedy to befall on the family.

Pallegedara Saman Wickramapala was her husband and he was a barber in a saloon which was in Attanakadawela.

However, the happiness of their marriage did not last long. The two daughters had been struck a blow early in their lives and may never recover from the tragedy.

The victim Anusha Chamini Jayathilaka

The grieving mother

Anusha was an innocent woman. She always tried to build a good life with her husband and children.

She knew that her husband's earnings would not be enough to make ends meet so she decided to leave abroad for employment as a housemaid.

Anusha began to work abroad and send money home to provide for her family and to keep the home fires burning.

She did not decide to return to her home country for a long time because she wanted save some money to give a good education to her children.

However, Anusha's husband did not agree with her staying abroad for a long period. He made repeated requests for her to come back home. Some of the calls were threatening as well. Anusha ultimately could not resist any longer and decided to return home. So she later came back after one and a half years service in the Middle -East.

However, this did not end up well for Anusha as trouble started brewing in her family once again.

Their family expenses gradually rose and they faced many difficulties. Anusha's husband was engaged in work only twice or thrice a week and the money he earned did not suffice. Gradually he began consuming liquor with his companions to sustain his tired body and mind. Most of what he earned was spnt on his friends and on consuming liquor.

Now liquor slowly began to take a hold of him, virtually draining him of his good qualities and sapping his energy.

His relationship with his wife too was affected and quarrels between the two became a frequent occurrence. He began laying his hands on her for every trivial issue.

Anusha could not tolerate her husbands behavior any longer and with the financial difficulties the family had she decided to find a job. Thus she decided to join a garment factory which was in Girithale. In the meantime she also had made several complaints to the police post in Diyabeduma against her husband .

On the instructions of the police she settled down with her two daughters, while leaving her husband temporarily with her daughters she went to live at her mother's house in Atthanakadawela.

Anusha's husband was angry about this and he suspected her of having an illicit affair with a man who was in Kurunegala.On the fateful day her husband Wickramapala had gone to meet Anusha on her return from the garment factory.

After meeting her Wickramapala had requested his wife to come and live with him in their house once again.

Anusha agreed with him and she had gone to spend the night with her husband in their house in Attanakadawela.

What happened next was a tragedy. Anusha's husband Wickramapala later made a confession to the police. He said while they were sleeping on the mat Anusha had received a call from someone. His suspicion had arisen and although he had questioned who the caller was Anusha failed to give a clear answer.

It was in this backdrop Wickramapala had lost his cool.

He had taken a wooden pole which lay near him and he kept assaulting her on her head. Then he had fled the scene leaving his wife with grievous injuries.

He had run aimlessly and ultimately gone to the police and confessed. Meanwhile, Anusha was lying on the mat in agony unable to even get up without anyone to assist her. After some time a neighbour had come in search of Anusha's husband.

As Wickramapala did not answer his calls he had gone inside the house. Seeing the door open he had gone inside only to find Anusha in a pool of blood. He had alerted the others and the neighbours had all run to Anusha's house.

Anusha lay in a pool of blood.

The neihbours tried to revive her but to no avail. So they had called a vehicle and had taken her to the hospital in Attanakadawela. But the doctors pronounced her dead on admission.If the neighbours had found Anusha earlier or if her husband had tried to take her to hospital Anusha's precious life could have been saved.

However this did not happen and the doctors had said she could have been saved if she had been brought to the hospital earlier. Anusha had left this world leaving her young children alone at a very early age in their lives.

The children alas lost both parents as their father too had to serve a prison term as he was sentenced to prison on his own admission that he killed his wife. Wickramapala was arrested by the police. The OIC of Bakamuna police IP Palitha Ilangankoon and police team are conducting further investigation.