Security blanket in Kahawatte town

*Vital evidence regarding double murder lost due to burning of suspects' houses, properties - Police

*Double murder committed to cover up a business involving narcotics

Bhakthi DHARMAPRIYA MENDIS, Panduka SAMARASEKERA and Ratnapura district group corr

The Police maintained a firm security blanket in Kahawatte town during the last two days to prevent any more untoward incidents following the torching of the property belonging to the suspects arrested in connection with the double murder of a mother and a daughter on January 31.

The Police had to summon the STF to assist in the maintenance of law and order and control angry crowds. Police said Security Forces intervened to prevent the torching of a building in Kahawatte town by a crowd on Wednesday night.

Police Media Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said the Police had lost many vital evidence regarding the Kahawatte double murder due to the burning of the houses and other properties belonging to the suspects.

He said investigations revealed the the double murder had been committed with an intention to cover up a business involving narcotics.

Investigations conducted by the CID and the Kahawatte and Ratnapura Police followed many angles.

The Police had been able to uncover several vital bits of information regarding the murder following the arrest of the three suspects including a woman.

L M Darshana alias Raju, said to be a brother of Godakawela Pradeshiya Sabha member L M Dharmasiri is under arrest.

The wife of the main suspect Raju named M Asoka and another suspect known to be a three wheeler driver have also been arrested in this connection.

Following the arrest of the suspects, people in Godakawela created tension in the area and torched three houses which resulted in the Police losing many vital clues and evidence about the crime.

Meanwhile, when the three suspects were produced before Pelmadulla magistrate Chandanie Dias, the woman suspect was remanded till Friday and the other two suspects detained in Police custody for further interrogation.

The woman suspect was due to be produced in court again yesterday.

Police investigations revealed that Kavindya,18, one of the murder victims was an Advanced Level student of Ferguson Balika Vidyalaya, Ratnapura.

On her way to school, she happened to pass the house of the main suspect Darshana alias Raju everyday. When Kavindya passed his house, Darshana happened to send a food parcel through her to a friend in Ratnapura town daily. One day Kavindya who left for school had returned home with the parcel given to her by Darshana inside her school bag as she had suddenly fallen ill after proceeding halfway. Kavindya had soon retired to bed and fallen asleep and the mother who inspected her school bag had come across the parcel given to her by Darshana.

When the mother later inquired from her about the parcel, she had related the whole story about the parcel given to her daily by Darshana to be handed over to a friend.

The mother who opened the bag had got furious after seeing hard drugs inside it.

The mother had rushed to Darshana's house and scolded him unmercifully. Darshana alias Raju who feared that Kavindya's mother would someday divulge his involvement in the drug trade had taken a firm decision to get rid of Kavindya and her mother soon.

He had decided to kill the mother and daughter and got his wife Asoka and a three wheel driver named Sanath Nandana to assist him in the crime.

Around 8pm on January 31, he had gone to Kavindya's house with a manna and as the mother opened the front door, he had dealt a blow with the manna on her head and she had fallen dead on the spot.

When Kavindya came forward raising cries, he had dealt similar blows on her head and hand. Kavindya too had fallen dead beside her mother.

Darshana had taken away Kavindya's body in the three wheeler and dumped it in a shrub jungle about three kilometres away.

The Police were able to elicit all this information by interrogating the woman suspect, Dharshana's wife Asoka.

----------------

Knives used in murder found in suspect's yard

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

Two knives used in the Kahawatte double murder were found by a special police team in the back yard of the main suspect's house.

Three suspects including a woman were taken into custody by the CID in connection with the murder of a woman and her daughter. The CID found two knives after the main suspect Raju had allegedly said the knives used for the murder were hidden behind his house.