News

Police scour CCTV footage in strategic locations in a bid to find decapitated woman’s head

Published

5 years ago

2021/03/14

By Norman Palihawadana

Police have begun checking CCTV footage in other areas to find out where the policeman had thrown the head of the woman he decapitated and also whether any others had helped him to carry out the grisly killing at Hanwella, police officials said.

The headless body of the woman was found inside a travelling bag at Dam Street.

“We are scouring CCTV images in certain strategic locations to gather more information on the movements of the sub inspector implicated in the killing of the woman at a guest house in Hanwella”, they said.

Meanwhile, the funeral of the woman identified as Dilini Yasodha Jayasundara took place at the Theppanawa public cemetery at Kuruwita on March 10.

The victim’s body was released following identification after her DNA matched samples taken from her mother and brother.

Her body was placed in the police morgue until Additional Government Analyst, D. H. L. W. Jayamanne completed the DNA examination. Thereafter, the body was handed over to her relatives on the night of March 9 to be taken to her hometown of Theppanawa in Kuruwita.

Thirty-year-old Thilini Yasodhara was unmarried and lived with her mother, who was a person with special needs, a brother, who was a local politician and an elderly female relative. Her father had died many years ago.

She was not employed and devoted most of her time to painting and social work. She had developed a love affair with the police officer at the time she did some temporary work in the political office of parliamentarian Heshan Vithana. The policemen, S. M. Premasiri (52), a sergeant at the time, served in the security contingent of the MP.

The romance had continued despite the transfer of her partner to serve as a security officer to then Minister Harin Fernando. Subsequently, the policeman was transferred to Buttala police station, close to his hometown of Badalkumbura, where he received a promotion and served as a sub inspector.

Police believe that the suspect policeman may have killed the woman after she continued to insist that they get married. Perhaps, she was unaware that he was a married man with two children.

He had killed the woman inside a guest house room at Hanwella, which the couple had occupied overnight. A woman employee of the guest house had seen him leaving with a travelling bag the previous morning and thought his companion may have left earlier.

Police said that thanks to CCTV footage, they were able to retrace his journey from Hanwella to Colombo in a private bus and later dumping the bag at Dam Street. The decapitated body of the woman was later found by police on being alerted by traders in the vicinity.

A day after the gruesome find in Pettah, a bag belonging to the woman was found at Hanwella. An identity card from a youth camp and an address in Kuruwita were among the contents.

Police investigators were also able to trace the guest house the couple had booked into on the evening of February 28, the day before the woman’s body was found in Pettah. The visitors’ book had revealed Premasiri’s identity and the area he lived in.

When the police closed in on him, Premasiri had escaped to a jungle area near his house at Badalkumbura and committed suicide. His body was later found hanging from a tree. A bottle of poison was also found nearby.

In a suicide note, he had apologized to his wife and two children for the shame over what happened and urged them to be brave and face the future despite whatever obstacles they would have to face He had also asked his family to go ahead with the preparations for his mother’s alms-giving.

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Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

Deep depression Track. [Source: RSMC]

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, Department of Meteorology at 10.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 for the period until 10.30 a.m. 09 January 2026

The depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka has intensified into a deep depression and is centered near latitude 5.4°N and longitude 85.3°E, about 420 km southeast of Pottuvil at 05.30 a.m. today (08th). The above system is currently (10:00 a.m.) located about 300 km southeast of Pottuvil.

It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across the southwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Sri Lanka coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai between 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday [9th January 2026].

Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, NorthCentral, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from today (08th).

For the Land area:

DAMAGE EXPECTED:
• Damage to huts, temporary shelters and light structures
• Destroy the roof tops/ sheets etc.
• Damage to power and communication lines.
• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees.
• Damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
• Damage to harbor yachts
• Flash flood
• Sea water inundation in low lying areas in the near coast.

Action suggested for the Land area:
• Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas to remain indoors.
• People living in hilly areas (particularly landslide prone areas) and low lying areas in river basins are requested to be vigilant.
• Drivers and people using roads in the hilly areas are requested to be vigilant.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• General public is requested to be vigilant regarding impending extreme weather situation.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
• Requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces and showers about 50-75 mm in other areas

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, located to the southeast of Sri Lanka, was centered near latitude 5.3°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 490 km southeast of Pottuvil, at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (07). It is expected to move west-northwestwards and towards the eastern coast of the island during next 24 hours. This system is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Central and Southern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere in the Island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces. Fairly Heavy showers about (50 – 75) mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island.

Strong winds about (50-60) kmph can be expected at times over the Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

News

Easter Sunday attacks: Govt. says wife of Katuwapitiya Church bomber alive

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sara Jasmine

Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament yesterday that information uncovered during ongoing investigations indicated that Pulasthini Mahendran, also known as Sara Jasmine, linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, was not dead.

Responding to a question raised by Opposition MP Mujibur Rahuman, the Minister said there was no confirmation that Sara Jasmine was currently in India, despite speculation to that effect. He added that investigators suspected she may have fled the country and stressed that further inquiries were underway to establish her whereabouts.

“If necessary, the government will take steps to obtain a warrant,” Wijepala said, noting that legal action related to the Easter attacks had already been initiated, based on available evidence.

Minister Wijepala said the new government had launched an thorough probe to determine whether a political or other conspiracy had been behind the attacks that killed more than 270 people in 2019. However, he declined to disclose certain details in Parliament, citing the risk of hampering investigations.

Sara Jasmine, Mohammed Hashtun, who bombed St. Sebastian’s Church, in Katuwapitiya, in 2019, was long presumed to have died in a suicide blast in Sainthamaruthu, days after the attacks. Wijepala said attempts by previous administrations to establish her death had failed, with recent reports indicating that DNA tests conducted at the time were inconclusive.

During the debate, MP Rahuman recalled that senior figures, including then-Opposition MP Nalinda Jayatissa, had previously claimed Sara Jasmine was in India. He questioned why authorities had not sought an open warrant for her arrest whether the issue had been raised in talks with Indian officials.

Wijepala, responding on behalf of Deputy Minister of Defence Arun Jayasekara, said the government would not hesitate to pursue legal action, including warrants, if necessary.

By Saman Indrajith