Daily NEWS Srilanka

An incident where after a husband had drunk poison and died on the problem faced in not being able to settle his debtors and subsequently his wife who was left desolate in not being able to avoid them had given poison mixed with ice cream

The deceased are K. Sunethra (28) and her 3 children, Chrishai (4) the daughter and 2 sons Sajith (2) and Saravana (1) living in Mambalan Junction, Arialei, Jaffna. The husband of the wife concerned had been in service as a goldsmith in Jaffna in sales outlets selling gold items and not being able to settle the loans he had taken had 2 months before this had consumed a type of poisonous liquid used to prepare gold items and had so died, police say.

After the death of the said husband the debtors had come in search of the lady concerned and not being able to bear this pressure she has had made use of the poisonous liquid used in the preparation of gold articles and mixed it with ice cream and had then fed the 3 children and she herself had partaken of it. The police had found a bowl containing ice cream with poison given to eat, police say. The police also said that after consuming the ice cream with poison, the woman and her 3 children were found dead lying on a mat. When Jaffna Police inspected the house, 2 letters written to Mr. Manickavasagar Sailaveralian, High Court Judge and her relatives were found in that house. What was mentioned in the communication to the High Court Judge was that her husband had loaned some money to a certain person and that because it was not returned and that her husband too had taken loans and had been unable to settle it and that under these circumstances not being able to bear up all this he had taken poison and died.

Her letter further states that the children were constantly looking for their father and she could not bear this pain any further, for which reason she has resorted to taking this action. The Jaffna Police stated further that 2 names were cited as being responsible for the deaths. After inquiry into sudden deaths was conducted on bodies of this mother and the 3 children, the bodies were expected to be taken to Jaffna Hospital. Further inquiries in connection with the incident is underway by Jaffna Police.