Triple murder in Dehiwela:

SI kills wife and in-laws

Rafik Jalaldeen and Suranjith Perera, Dehiwela Mount Lavinia group correspondent

From left: SI Susantha, his wife Lakmali and her parents Upali and Wasanthi.

A Sub Inspector attached to Boralesgamuwa police killed his wife and her father and mother on Monday night in Nikape Road, Dehiwela.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said the SI attached to Boralesgamuwa police Intelligence Unit shot his wife, father in law and mother in law at their residence in Dehiwela around 9.20pm.

The SI who shot himself had surrendered to Dehiwela police and was admitted to the Kalubowila hospital with hand injuries. “It is believed that a family dispute led the SI to kill his wife and her parents,” he added.

Giving evidence before Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Dharshika Wimalasiri a sister of the SI’s wife Sandamali Perera said her sister Lakmali called her husband SI Susantha to come to a private hospital in Colombo as their baby was not well.

Susantha did not turn up and Lakmali had returned home disappointed. “When Susantha returned from duty, Lakmali asked about his absence and then a heated argument had taken place. Susantha threatened the entire family with death and left the house,” he said.

“The SI returned to the house with a pistol and stormed into Lakmali’s parent’s room where Lakmali too happened to be there. He had then shot Lakmali and her father Upali Perera and her mother Wasanthi.”

“I was near my parent’s room and hearing the commotion ran out from the house fearing for my life. When I returned home I found blood flowing inside the house,” Sandamali told the Magistrate. Lakmali, 26, was a mother of two and was teaching in a private school.

Upali Perera was a prominent contractor of road construction in Dehiwela. Dehiwela police are investigating.