Daily NEWS Srilanka

Former Provincial Council Member Anil Champika Wijesingha ('Atha Kota') and 18 others involved in the brutal murder of Nooriwattha Superintendent in Deraniyagala which created a massive sensation within the country in the year 2013 were sentenced to capital punishment by Avissawella High Court today. 

After a long trial which extended to a span of 3 years, the lady Judge M.D.S. Abeyratna issued this verdict. In this connection 21 individuals had been

On 15th July 2015 this gang who thought of taking revenge from Deraniyagala Nooriwattha Superintendent Nallaperumage Nihal Perera was taken into their custody and after making him totally undressed had been cut and chopped, his private organs detached and subsequently was taken in a cab around the estate for exhibition purposes and finally was put to death. This incident however went under the carpet at that time because of political connections. A gang including a former chairman of Deraniyagala Provincial Council named Anil Champika Wijesingha were responsible for this murder. He had also been known by the name 'Atha Kota'. Atha Kota happens to be the son of a person who was engaged as the Nooriwattha watcher in Noori Estate itself. With Atha Kota, the number of children in the family were 7 in number. It was from an accident that took place in childhood that he had lost his hand. Members of this family have as their vocation involvedthemselves in distilling kasippu. 

It was said that Anil Champika Wijesingha at the Provincial Council election was a closely-knit friend of the son of the most powerful politician in the area, Mahipala Herath. It is also understood that just as much as it happened in Tangalla, Hikkaduwa and Kotakethana in Ratnapura, Anil Champika too had raised up his head as a Provincial Council thug. The monopoly of selling kasippu in Nooriwattha, Deraniyagala was in the hands of Atha Kota and he had reaped a good sum of money from it, it was reported. It was further reported that apart from shops and kiosks of Atha Kota's relatives, trading around the vicinity for others was taboo. 

It was people stricken with poverty who were living in this estate which was managed by an American international plantation company called Walter Bay, as a project of the Investment Board. A section of these people were Tamils; Tamil people who lived in lined in houses. Some people were Sinhalese ... helpless people who were used to earn something for their day-to-day expenses. It was always harassment they had to face at the hands of this thug. Grabbing lands in Nooriwattha and maintaining cultivation there was a custom of his. If ever there was a woman who looked pretty and if she attracted the attention of Atha Kota, she invariably became a prey to him. This raping occured in most instances in Bilagama, Batakelle area and within the abandoned Basnala dispensary and reports have been published to that effect. An incident where an adolescent girl was raped after pulling her parents out from home wasalso reported. On another occasion, the wife of a businessman of Deraniyagala town was raped after assaulting him and pulling him out. 

The Deraniyagala Police came into criticism at that time with the allegation that it was a ghetto. Since there were disgraceful elements who licked plates of politicians, no justice was meted out over injustice. Those who came with their complaints were sent away by the police by these elements who covered up murders and rape cases and such instances were galore. It was the police at that time who made conditions even more frightful by making known to the offenders about the people who came to report the offences and arranged for a counter-attack as well. The death of Nooriwattha Superintendent thus takes place for having tried to block this flow.

Nihal Perera had approached the police to inform about the timber rampage taking place under Atha Kota and his men when in those circumstances he was subjected to assault by them. During the short period of 2 years he was on duty he was mercilessly attacked on two occasions. Minister Mahinda Samarasigha who was the Minister of the Plantation Industry at that time was informed in written form about this disgraceful nature as well as Deraniyagala Police. However everybody kept their mouths shut because of Atha Kota's power. 

It was after this that these thugs happen to cut and chop the Superintendent and thus put him to death. The barbarous manner in which the said murder was committed is something beyond anyone's belief. He was taken hold of and after undressing him was cut while still living and was taken round by keeping him at the back of a cab, displaying him to those all over the estate giving the red signal not to repeat these things again after which he was murdered as an animal.

After the horrendous incident everyone at Deraniyagala Police were transferred. Atha Kota and his clan were taken into custody only after a period of time. The suspects involved in the crime are Amila who has charges against narcotics and the son of his sister the latter of whom was engaged in Atha Kota's kasippu business, Karate Shantha a brother of Atha Kota, Konda Chaminda, Rangana, Baby, Sudda and the gang. Even after this murderthough he had the opportunity of concealing the crime 18 offenders including Atha Kota were sentenced to death consequent to the climate that has surfaced in the judiciary demanding punishment for criminals of this calibre.