Bloody killings over broken marriage

By Palitha Ariyawansa

From Bandarawela comes a gruesome story of a young woman who allegedly killed her mother and grandmother by attacking them with a pestle and then knifing them. A M Lokumenika (80) and W M Heenmenika (56) became the victims of the dual killing allegedly at the hands of Mudhitha Nilanthi (27) whose 65-year-old father H. P. Tissasinghe said he could not understand why the killings took place as the mother and daughter were getting on well till a proposal came for his daughter.

The would-be groom had visited the girl’s home in the company of friends but without his parents. This did not please the father. However the couple married in a hurry after which the man had left sans the bride. In course of time she had received summons in a case filed by her husband.

The dead mother’s sister said her niece was frustrated over her marriage which may be the reason for the crime. ASP Rohan Wijesinghe said that according to her statement to the police, her husband left for Haiti for duty with other soldiers just after the marriage. He is said to have told her before going, he had filed a case against her.

She admitted it was sheer frustration over events which occurred after marriage that drove her to the double killing, police said. The post mortem was held by acting JMO L Gallage who testified that the grandmother had seven knife injuries on her neck while the mother had two and that a pestle was used in the killings.

ASP Wijesinghe, Inspector P Nishantha, sub- Inspector Bandara, sergeants Wijedasa and Thilakaratna and constable Sunil are conducting investigations.