News
Motive behind Open Uni. stabbing still unclear: Police
Police are yet to establish the reason behind the stabbing of an Open University staffer by a student, on Wednesday (19), as both the suspect and the victim are presently being treated in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
The medical centre run by the suspect doctor
Mirihana police Officer-in-Charge Roshan Rajapaksa said that, at present, eyewitness accounts are being recorded, while students are being questioned. “We will record statements from both the suspect and the victim, once they are fit to give statements,” he said.
The suspect, Shivagnanasundaram Suranjeet (40) was ordered to be remanded till July 7, by Nugegoda Acting Magistrate Tissa Wijeratne.
The incident took place around 12.45 pm, when the University’s Law Faculty Head Yashodara Kadiragamathamby (40) was stabbed several times with a pointed knife by a student, Shivagnanasundaram Suranjeet (40).
Sivagnanasundaram, who had argued with Yashodara for rejecting his assignment as it was delayed, suddenly grabbed a knife from his bag and started cutting her body and hair, according to a female security guard eyewitness.
The lecturer lay screaming in a pool of blood while the suspect fled to the upper floor. When Nugegoda police rushed to the scene, the suspect confessed to the crime and said that he would live only for another two hours, as he had consumed an overdose of pills.
Scene of the gruesome stabbing. Pix by Amila Gamage
Yashodara was rushed to the National Hospital Colombo, where she is being treated in the ICU. The suspect was rushed to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital Kalubowila and is in the ICU. Hospital sources said that both the suspect and the victim were out of danger.
The suspect, a resident of Jaffna and a doctor by profession, has been living in Kotahena, while operating a medical centre in Wattala town.
Prior to the incident, the suspect had written a letter stating that his death was a result of his wife leaving for Australia with their son, and that the Head of the Faculty had continuously failed him, while not accepting student assignments. Wattala police said that the suspect’s wife had left for Australia after he continued law studies for many years.
According to police, the suspect doctor was involved in a hit-and-run incident several days ago, and failed to appear in court.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus