The Sri Lankan police have made a major breakthrough in the case surrounding the death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kalutara, arresting the main suspect. The suspect, 29-year-old Danushka Gayan Sahabandu, was found by police in the Hikkaduwa area, and is believed to have been staying there after accompnying the victim to a hotel room in Kalutara. A number of other suspects have also been arrested in connection with the case, including a young couple and a driver who transported the group to the hotel where the girl was later found dead.
The young girl’s body was discovered on May 6th near the railway track in Kalutara, with police initially unsure whether the death was a suicide or the result of criminal activity. However, investigations quickly focused on the latter possibility, with the police treating the incident as a murder from that point on. The identity of the victim has been confirmed as a resident of the Nagoda area in Kalutara.
Information provided to Kalutara HQI Ruwan Wijesinghe led to the location of the main suspect, with many of the other suspects identified and arrested shortly afterwards. Although no information has yet been made available regarding the motive for the murder, police sources suggest that the victim was lured to the hotel by the accused, and that a dispute or altercation took place that resulted in her demise.
As the investigation continues, it’s clear that many of the facts surrounding the case are still unknown. For example, it has been revealed that the National Identity Card produced by the 16-year-old girl in order to rent a room at the hotel was actually obtained from one of her friends, raising further questions about the victim’s associations and activities outside of school. Meanwhile, several witnesses have provided police with a range of different accounts of the events of the night of the murder, making it challenging for investigators to construct a reliable picture of what actually took place.
Despite these challenges, police sources remain determined to uncover the truth about the young girl’s death, and to bring those responsible to justice. With many of the key suspects now in custody, it seems that the investigation is beginning to make headway, and that answers will soon be forthcoming regarding one of the most high-profile crimes to have taken place in Sri Lanka in recent times.
Overall, it’s clear that this disturbing case has rocked the local community, shaking the confidence of residents and calling into question the safety of young people in the area. While it will take time for the wounds to heal, the swift and decisive action taken by the police in arresting the suspects involved has gone some way towards restoring faith in the authorities, and in the possibility of justice being served in cases like this. As more details regarding the case emerge, it’s hoped that this will go some way towards both understanding what happened, and preventing similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
