Daily NEWS Srilanka

A person who has murdered a 56 year old woman in Kaduwela area with the motive of looting a gold necklace and escaping after that was pretending to be a victim of the flood of Kelani River and had tried to close the eyes of the police; but his attempt had turned futile. It
was a retired stenographer of the Supreme Court whom he had murdered for the purpose of finding money for his use of drugs. 

The deceased, one Manel Panagoda the 56 year old lady had been living down Kaduwela Vihara Mawatha and she had been murdered in her own house last 7th. A mother of 2 children she had gone on pension an year ago and her husband and daughter had been living in this house. On the day of the murder her husband and daughter had gone out to work when the suspect had entered the house and worried her asking for money. When she had told him that there was no money in the house the suspect not wanting to believe her words had proceeded to search the house at which moment she had shouted. The suspect had thought of overcoming this obstruction and had then strangled her, he had confessed to the police.  Subsequently after strangling her he had taken away the gold necklace round her neck and the mobile phone which items he had sold and earned a sum of Rs. 21500. Later on having felt through instinct that the police were on his trail had decided to remain on top of Kelani Bridge as someone who was displaced by the flood, using such a strategy to evade the clutches of the police. 

The police had utilised modern technology in connection with this crime and after conducting investigations from a number of angles had been convinced that the suspect was a notorious plunderer who was even registered with Mirihana Police. After investigations were carried out over the physical characteristics and other enquiries as well about the 45 year old suspect who had been sentenced to jail for over 10 years a clue was found that he was staying on the Kelani Bridge as a flood victim. The police subsequently employed a decoy in the guise of a person who was involved in consensus activities and in the process had managed to take the suspect into custody.   

The suspect who was kept under detention orders confessed to police of how he committed the murder. When he revealed that after the murder he had sold the robbed gold necklace to an unknown person in Chetty Street for Rs. 20,000 and the mobile phone to a hotel employee in Rajagiriya area the police were successful in confirming that information. The suspect is still under police custody.