SRI LANKA: The Saliya Wewa Police colludes with the murderer of a young girl who died of severe burn injuries 

Dear friends,

Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali (16) succumbed to severe burn injuries at the Puttalam Base Hospital. She had been admitted by her partner, a soldier attached to the Civil Defence Force, and the Saliya Wewa Police Station. Shortly before the victim’s death she made a statement to the police that her partner had deliberately set her on fire and only took her to the hospital when she agreed to lie about the incident. Despite giving a truthful statement to the Saliya Wewa Police the officers colluded with the culprit and obtained his release from the case.

CASE NARRATIVE:

On 13 December 2011, Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali (16) of No: 03, Neelabamma Viyaparaya, Saliya Wewa Junction in Anuradhapura District succumbed to severe burn injuries at the Puttalam Base Hospital. She was admitted to the hospital by Wijesundara Pedige Thusitha Priyaranga (25), a soldier attached to the Civil Defence Force, and the Saliya Wewa Police Station. The victim lived with Wijesundara Pedige Thusitha Priyaranga as his partner.

Sandamali was alone with her partner Mr. Thusitha at their home at the time of incident which happened at 7AM on 4 December 2011. She suffered severe burn injuries which led to her death nine days later.

On arrival at the hospital Sandamali initially stated that her clothing suddenly and inexplicably burst into flames. However, after some days she revealed to members of her family and friends that Thusitha had intentionally set her on fire and threatened her with death if she revealed to anyone that he had done so. He kept her at home for six hours after the incident before taking her to hospital and did so only after she agreed to follow his instructions. He had concealed the fact that Sandamali had been seriously injured by closing the windows and curtains of their house so that her parents, who lived within sight of their house, would not find out. He made attempts to treat her with pain killers and burn medication but when the pain became too much to bear she pleaded with him to take her to the hospital.

Sandamali’s second statement to the police reveals the deliberate and ruthless intention of Wijesundara Pedige Thusitha Priyaranga to kill Sandamali in the cruelest possible manner. During the period between 4 to 13 December 2011 when she was visited at the hospital by family and friends she revealed to them that Thusitha had set her on fire. Police officers attached to the Saliya Wewa Police Station, to which Thusitha was also attached took the second statement from Sandamali and in a most suspicious manner the officers ordered the mother and sister to leave the ward. The officers then remained with Sandamali for three hours against the doctor’s advice.

Prior to the incident when Sandamali was below 15 years-of-age she was abducted and raped by Thusitha. At that time he was arrested and remanded and a case was filed before the Magistrate of Puttalam under Case No. BR 231/11. However, when he was enlarged on bail he again abducted the under-aged girl and brought her to his home where he continuously abused her physically and mentally. He also forced her to take money from her parents with threats of violence. Following this Sandamali made a written complaint to the Saliya Wewa Police Station. Inexplicably, while Thusitha was on bail and under investigation for rape in the Magistrate’s Court of Puttalam he was still permitted to work in the Civil Defence Force and the Saliya Wewa Police Station. This case was postponed to 19 February, 2013 where he stands accused of statutory rape.

After the death of Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali the Saliya Wewa Police Station reported to the Magistrate’s Court of Puttalam under case No. BR/1740/11/P. In that report the police mentioned Thusitha as being responsible for her death. However, when later the police proceeded with the case in the same court they failed to mention this fact. The Magistrate attended the scene of the crime but by that time Thusitha had cleaned up and removed all the evidence. Despite the fact that it was clearly their duty to do so the police did not record this. When Thusitha made his statement to the police he falsely mentioned Sandamali’s age as 18. He further claimed that at 7:30AM on the day of the incident Sandamali, who was wearing a long dress, suddenly and inexplicably burst into flames. In the police report they intentionally did not give the actual time when Wijesundara Pedige Thusitha Priyaranga took Sandamali to the hospital which was six hours after the incident.

No doubt acting on information provided by the Saliya Wewa Police Station the Attorney General instructed the Magistrate of Puttalam to release Thusitha.

The parents are now asking the Attorney General’s Department to reopen the case and conduct a proper investigation. They state that they have been denied an investigation and that their daughter has been denied justice. Action must be taken against the officers of the Saliya Wewa Police Station for their obvious collusion with Thusitha in concealing the facts behind the death of Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported innumerable cases of collusion of the Sri Lankan police with criminal elements over the past few years. The case in question concerns the inhuman murder of a young girl which was covered up by officers of the Saliya Wewa Police Station to which the culprit was attached.

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please send a letter to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case and requesting an immediate investigation into the true cause of death of the victim and an independent investigation into the collusion of the officers of the Saliya Wewa Police Station.

The Asian Human Rights Commission is writing to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women in this case.

To support this appeal please click here:

 

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER