Though the general election is over, election-related violence is still continuing. In spite of the festive mood prevailing in the land, the environment in Anamaduwa was disturbed by in-fighting between supporters of the UPFA resulting in one of them receiving stab injuries to which he succumbed.
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| Kasun |
It could be termed the first post-election killing, a victim of the preferential vote battle.
B. A. Kasun Chamara, aged 19, the only son of a family from Ihala Diwulwewa did not even have a vote but went campaigning to support UPFA candidate Indrani Disanayake.
Meanwhile, L. B. Senatissa, a Samurdhi officer in Divulwewa set up an office in front of his own house to support another UPFA candidate P Jayaratne.
On New Year’s Eve (13) Senatissa is said to have brandished a sword at Kasun over an argument with him on the preferential votes received by the respective candidates. Kasun in retaliation had reportedly smashed some windows of Senatissa’s house, which incident was reported by Senatissa to police who arrested Kasun. He was bailed out on the next day on the promise of his mother, to compensate for the damage caused to the windows.
On the evening of that same day Kasun had gone on a bicycle to look for his friend Athula at the latter’s house. Athula’s mother had told Kasun that Athula had gone out a few minutes ago.
At that point Senatissa who was related to the inmates of the house and was having his dinner there had spotted Kasun and leaving his meal aside had reportedly slashed Athula’s neck with a knife. It was learnt later that Kasun would have been unaware that Senatissa was in the house.
Kasun was taken by neighbours to the hospital at Anamaduwa where he was pronounced dead on admission.
Senatissa had reportedly fled the village whereupon his neighbours had burnt down his palatial partially built house, cutting down trees and adding them to the fire. His wife who lived separately in another house was unharmed.
On the next day people of the area assuming that the killer received police protection had staged a protest with a four-mile march to the police station.
However, ASP I.B. Sumanapala and HQI E. W.D. Gunasekera of the Puttalam police assured the protesters that the accused had been arrested by a team from the Anamaduwa police headed by OIC H.A. Gunaratne. Police had reportedly received help from people to locate the hiding place of the accused.
A post mortem was held into the death of Kasun on Thursday by Kurunegala JMO M. M. K. Senanayake.
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| The Samurdhi officer’s house after it was destroyed |
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| Scene from the protest at alleged police inaction |
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