Personal grudge ends lady doctor’s life

There was a mass protest staged by doctors at the Hambantota District Hospital over the killing of a lady doctor Lakshmi Indunil attached to the Bandagiriya Rural Hospital by a disgruntled soldier over a personal dispute last week.

The Police Media Spokesman, SSP Ranjith Gunesekera told the Sunday Observer, that the killer was an Army Corporal from the Udawalawe Army Camp who is absconding. Meanwhile, several Police teams have been deployed to apprehend the suspect, he said.

The Police, however, had not arrested the suspect at the time of filing this story last week. SSP Gunesekera said the motive for the killing was due to a private grudge the soldier had with the lady doctor sometime ago.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) vowed to launch a country wide strike last week if action was not taken to apprehend the suspect. Police identified the deceased lady doctor as W.D. Lakshmi Indunil, (33), a spinster. hospital.

B. Jayaratne, a retired Grama Niladhari from Payagala, who knew Lakshmi’s family, said he was shocked beyond words to hear of the death of Dr. Indunil. He said Indunil’s father owned a small business enterprise in Payagala that sold ornamental items to tourist hotels in Kalutara and the Beruwela areas.

Her father had sacrificed a lot and taken great pains to educate his youngest daughter. Lakshmi’s elder sister after marriage moved over to Dodangoda where she settled down with her family. The parents sold their ancestral home when Lakshmi was posted to Hambantota, and moved over to Hambantota to live with her.

“It was probably because there was no one to look after their daughter in a desolate area,” Jayaratne said.

Lakshmi, as a student had shone well at the Pothuwila School and gained admission to the Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya where she excelled in her studies. After entering the Sri Jayawardenapura University, she passed out as a doctor.

As a student, she lived with her parents at their ancestral home at Mahagammedda, Payagala. After passing out as a doctor almost four years ago she was attached to the Kalutara Hospital during her internship. Later, she was posted to the Bandagiriya Rural Hospital in the Hambantota area.

Grama Niladahri Pathmasiri of Payagala was a neighbour of Dr. Indunil at Payagala. He said he was very much saddened to hear of the death of Dr. Lakshmi Indunil. He later learnt from several persons that Dr. Indunil’s remains would be brought to the house that she built at Bombuwela-Dodangoda recently.

After moving over to Hambantota Lakshmi’s parents had lived with her at her official quarters at Bandagiriya. During her off time she treated patients who called over at her residence.

The murder took place on September 30 around 8.30. pm. while she was at home with her parents. Earlier that day, the soldier had called over at Dr. Lasksmi’s residence with his wife who had a cut injury on her hand.

According SSP Gunesekera, Dr. Lakshmi Indunil had an argument with the soldier at the hospital last year over an administrative lapse. Dr, Indunil had lodged a complaint at the Hambantota police station on November 23 against the soldier for abusing and threatening her.

The police investigated the complaint and filed action in court against the soldier. Thereafter, the case was called on four occasions and a trail date was fixed on October 31 this year.

When the soldier called on the doctor last week with his wife to nurse a cut injury, the doctor and her attendant had been rude to them .They made sarcastic remarks that angered the soldier.

Feeling bitter about the treatment meted out to him, the soldier lodged a complaint against the doctor at the Hambantota police station. The OIC, knowing about the previous enmity between them, had summoned both parties to the Police Station for an inquiry.

Meanwhile, the suspect soldier, armed with a pistol, had called over again at Dr. Indunils residence around 8.30 pm and shot her at point blank range despite her father trying to shield her.

The residents of Bandagiriya were so enraged on hearing of the murder that they set ablaze the house of the soldier. According to people at Bombuwela-Dodangoda, large crowds are visiting the home of the late doctor to pay their last respect to a courageous woman who served the poor.

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