Blazing inferno kills family of five

By Ananda Agalakada

The sacred city of Kataragama was in shock on hearing the news of the gruesome deaths of an entire family. The burnt and charred bodies were lined up in the morgue, some even beyond identification. The bodies of the entire family, including the perpetrator's who caused this mayhem was lying in the cold concrete of the hospital as people kept saying, Could this happen?

The 33-year-old-Sabitha was a resident in Rajamawatha, Kataragama. She lived with her little daughter and elderly parents who were very ill. She came from a poor family and as a result had to give up schooling early and support the family instead. At an early age Sabitha began to earn money by engaging in odd jobs as well as producing sweets ( kalu dodol ) to sell to the pilgrims. She had to look after her ailing parents, especially her paralysed mother.

Ekanayaka Mudiyanselage Chandrakeerthi was a handsome youth in the area of Katargama. He had seen Sabitha and was attracted to her. It did not take long for Chandrakeerthi to express what was in his mind to Sabitha. Sabitha who was burdened with the life's chores at an early age, saw a lifeline to happiness. It did not take her long to say ‘yes’ to Chandrakeerthi's offer. Before long they got married with the blessings of both families. Chandrakeerthi owned a landmaster and used the earnings he made from it to keep his family going.

However, before long trouble began to brew between Chandrakeerthi and Sabitha. This was mainly due to Sabitha refusing to live with Chandrakeerthi at his sister’s house. As Chandrakeerthi did not own a house he used to live at his sisters.

However Sabitha refused to move with her daughter to this place as she did not want to leave her ailing parents. She knew if she left there would be nobody to look after them. She always respected and cared for her parents and looked after them well.

Chandrakeerthi was also addicted to liquor and at times became violent under the influence of it. On such occasions he also used to assault his wife.

The parents of Sabitha were very angry about Chandrakeerthi's behaviour. One day Sabitha's ailing mother had even resorted to assault Chandrakeerthi with a cane.

Slowly Chandrakeerthi developed a hatred for Sabitha and her family.

One day Chandrakeerthi visited Sabitha's house. He also took with him a packet of biscuits. Sabitha rejected the packet of biscuits which was given for his daughter. Chandrakeerthi had a quarrel with his wife and her parents and he returned home in a fit of rage.

On that fateful day Chandrakeerthi consumed more liquor than he usually does. He later went to his wife’s house, where an argument ensued again. Then Chandrakeerthi in a fit of rage had stabbed Sabitha with a knife several times. Then he took a bottle of petrol which he had in a bag and poured it all over the house and set it on fire.

The wood shack caught fire easily and it spread quickly. It did not take long for the fire to engulf the whole house. The family screamed and the neighbours on hearing the screams ran to the burning house.

However, their effort to douse the fire was not successful as it had developed in to a raging inferno.

Sabitha, her little daughter, paralysed mother, disabled sister and father were engulfed in the huge fire. Chandrakeerthi who had caused this mayhem meanwhile tried to get out. But in his drunken stupor he could not find the door.

As smoke surrounded him and the fire came closer Chandrakeerthi screamed like an animal. Slowly his cries died down and he became a victim of the fire he had made.

In the meantime, the neighbours who had rushed to the scene were able to bring the fire under control with the aid of the police. They were able to pull out Sabitha, her daughter and father out.

But they were severely burnt. However, the others had perished and their bodies were beyond recognition.

Sabitha’s mother, her sister and husband died in the fire. Although Sabitha, her daughter and father were admitted to the Kataragama hospital by neighbours they also succumbed to their injuries later.

One of the neighbours relating his experience said, “while I was watching TV at night I heard a woman shouting for help. When I came out I saw Sabitha's house on fire.

I ran to the location and saw Sabitha struggling in the fire. She saw me and asked me to rescue her. I shouted for others and we all tried to rescue the people inside and douse the fire”.

The neighbour further said Sabitha after been pulled out had said she and her daughter were stabbed by Chandrakeerthi before he set the house on fire. “We rushed Sabitha and her daughter to the Kataragama hospital. Later I had come to know Sabitha’s disabled sister and father was admitted to the hospital as well,” he said.

According to the Kataragama police, Sabitha, before she had died, had told them it was her husband who had set fire to the house. Kataragama police OIC C.I. Laksiri Chandimal and OIC crime IP M.D.S. Nandana are conducting investigations on the instructions of SP Sisira Kumara and Senior DIG Chandana Wickramaratne in Southern police division.