Father and son quizzed over:

Dastardly killing

By Ananda Agalakada

Not every love story has a happy ending. There are many compelling love stories which end in tragedy. Although, the majority of love stories have happy endings they do not garner either media or public attention.

Sadly it is the tragic love stories, though they are a few which have made the headlines while capturing the attention of the public.

Sanduni would never have imagined that she would die at the hands of her husband and father-in-law. She was a happy, bubbly girl who was a parents delight and favourite among friends.

Eighteen- year-old Sanduni Kanchana who was still a student doing higher studies who fell in love with a handsome lad called Janaka.

The 23-year-old Janaka Lakmal resided in Elpitiya. He came from a poor family and was a cinnamon peeler by profession.

Janaka however was a handsome youth and was known among friends as one who enjoyed the company of girls. Infect, he had a reputation as a womaniser in the village. According to his father Janaka had brought two girls to his house on different occasions and had dumped them after a while.

However, it seemed that Janaka had bade adieu to his playful life after he met Sanduni. After this meeting he had told friends he had met the right girl.

Sanduni too was attracted to Janaka and after having known him for sometime decided to live with Janaka with many dreams about a bright future together. He promised her that he would marry her after she completed 18 years and they lived for three years together under one roof.

Legally

However, their love did not last long. As usual Janaka got tired of Sanduni after sometime and wanted to get rid of her like the two other girls he had before her. However, Sanduni was tougher than Janaka thought and it was not easy to chase her away like the other girls. As soon as she turned 18 years urged Janaka to legally marry her.

Sanduni was disappointed and angry as Janaka went back on his word and now did not want to have anything to do with Sanduni.

Janaka's father Sarath told police that Sanduni was his intended daughter-in-law. "She began to quarrel with my son after he refused to marry her.

On that fateful day after another quarrel between the two of them, Sanduni threw his mobile phone. Then my son began assaulting Sanduni" he said.

He said "later Janaka got ready to go with me to the cinnamon plantation. Sanduni continued to verbally abuse my son and she also began to curse us and attempted to pursue us".

"Then I lost my patience and could not control my emotions. Before I knew what I was doing I had picked up a club and had attacked her in a fit of rage. I was not aware of what I was doing. Sanduni fell and blood was oozing from her head. Later we carried her to the Werugala hill. After that when we tried to put her top of the hill she began to recover from being unconscious.

It was a terrible moment then we decided to cut her neck and put her headless body on top of the hill" the father said describing the gruesome murder committed by him and his son.

According to the father he and his son had returned home after committing this dastardly act.

Later the duo had gone to the Elpitiya police to lodge a complaint that Sanduni had gone missing.

The two alleged murderers had even held Bodhi Pooja's to divert attention and show that they were genuinely concerned over what happened to Sanduni. "We used three-wheelers and began searching for her because we wanted show the people in the village that we were sincere" he said.

Meanwhile Sanduni's mother had made complaint against Janaka alleging she suspected he was involved in her daughter's disappearance, the Elpitiya police said. The police kept a close watch on the movements of the suspects Sarath and Janaka because who said that Sanduni had wore a yellow Tee-shirt and black skirt when she was last seen.

Threatened

Lather they came to know through a neighbour, Shanika that she had been threatened by Sarath and Janaka that in the event the police inquired after Sanduni 's disappearance she should give evidence that Sanduni had worn that dress when she was last seen.

Meanwhile, police officers received news that there was a bad smell emanating from the Werugala hill. Officers of the Elpitiya police rushed to the foot of the hill.

The police had later found Sanduni's decomposed body at the foot of the hill including a red and black striped Tee-shirt, ash coloured skirt and a pendent with the letter "J" carved on it

Three persons Sarath and his son Janaka and a friend of Janaka were arrested by the police on suspicion and they were remanded.

Later Sarath had confessed to the murder. The HQI Rohan Pushpakumara, OIC Crime IP Supul Vidanage and a police team of Elpitiya police are conducting further investigations on the instruction of SSP Athula Weerasinghe of Elpitiya police area.