Suicide of sexually abused student:

Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin has called for an investigation into a complaint that a group of teachers at a girls’ school in Colombo have been collecting signatures from parents for a petition in defence of a teacher accused of having sexually abused a 16-year-old student, who committed suicide subsequently.

Speaking to The Island yesterday (11), Stalin said the teachers’ actions appear to have been an attempt to protect the accused, who had been released on bail. He questioned the motive behind defending someone implicated in such a serious crime.

“It is deeply concerning that these teachers would go to such lengths to support a suspect in a grave criminal matter,” Stalin said. He further urged that authorities investigate the circulation of WhatsApp messages among teachers, which he claims may have been used to spread misinformation about the incident.

The 16-year-old student, who was a resident of a housing complex in Galpotta Road, Kotahena, plunged to her death from the sixth floor of her apartment building on April 29. Police later revealed that the student had allegedly been sexually harassed by a teacher at her school in Bambalapitiya.

Her parents held a press conference on May 4, accusing both the schoolteacher and a private tuition teacher for having driven the victim to suicide.

On May 8, protests were held at three locations in Colombo – near the housing complex in Kotahena, outside the school in Bambalapitiya, and close to the private tuition centre, demanding justice.

The police have confirmed that the suspect teacher had been released on bail but is currently banned from travelling abroad. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has stated that the teacher has been sent on compulsory leave pending investigations.

by Chaminda Silva and Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon

Twenty-one passengers were killed and 35 others were injured in a tragic road accident in the early hours of yesterday. An SLTB bus plunged into a 100-foot precipice near the famous Gerandi Ella waterfall in Ramboda.

According to a survivor, the bus was descending the Ramboda Pass at a high speed when the driver suddenly applied brakes. “The bus veered off to the left and plunged into the ravine,” the survivor told the media. “People were screaming. It was pitch dark — we couldn’t see anything.”

The passenger, who narrowly escaped, said the bus had rolled over several times before coming to a halt. He said he had managed to crawl out of the bus and rescue about seven or eight others who were trapped inside. “Many children were injured. We got them out first and lifted them up from the precipice,” he said, adding that villagers had soon arrived to rescue others.

The accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. The bus was on its way to Kurunegala from Kataragama via Nuwara Eliya. There had been about 75 passengers on board, many of whom were returning home for the Vesak holidays, police said.

Among the deceased is the 38-year-old driver of the bus, Kalum Chandana. All passengers sustained injuries. The victims were rushed to the Kotmale Hospital, while the seriously injured were later transferred to Peradeniya, Nuwara Eliya, Gampola, and Nawalapitiya hospitals. Rescue operations were particularly harrowing. One mother and her child remained trapped under the bus until noon. A crane had to be brought in to lift the vehicle. The delay in reaching the injured is believed to have contributed to several deaths, according to hospital sources.

The force of the crash left several bodies trapped beneath the wreckage, and some passengers — including those seated in front — managed to jump out and escape as the bus began to fall. However, many others were asleep and were unable to react in time.

The Kotmale Police are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash, which is suspected to have been triggered by a mechanical failure while the bus was travelling at excessive speed.

by Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu

The Colombo Magistrate yesterday (11) granted bail to popular actress Semini Iddamalgoda, arrested in connection with several warrants issued over alleged non-payment of dues.

She was taken into custody and produced before the court by the Welikada Police, in respect of seven outstanding arrest warrants issued for failure to make legally required payments — including Employees’ Provident Fund contributions — related to a private security firm run by her.

The police informed the court that four of the warrants had been issued by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, two by the Matara Magistrate’s Court, and one by the Tangalle Magistrate’s Court.

The counsel appearing for Iddamalgoda told the court that their client was a professional actress with no intention of evading legal proceedings. They also stated that in several of the relevant cases, the outstanding payments had already been settled and the respective complaints had been withdrawn by the Department of Labour.

After considering the submissions, Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe ordered the release of the suspect on personal bail of Rs. 100,000 for each of the four cases filed before the Colombo court.The Magistrate ordered Iddamalgoda to submit proof of the relevant payments related to these complaints on or before 19 May.

by AJA Abeynayake