Monk implicated in a child rape and murder case.
Monday, 3 December 2007 - 8:42 AM SL Time
Original post of this article is located at: http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2007/12/22115.html
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The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has
cracked the recent mysterious death of six-year-old Kasmira Sugandi at a
day care centre at Naiwala, Veyangoda.
The NCPA stepped in after local law enforcement officers failed to
make progress despite compelling evidence against the chief incumbent of
a neighbouring temple.
A source close to the investigation claimed that a determined effort
was made by interested parties to shield the suspects. Had the NCPA
turned a blind eye to what the source called a transparent attempt at a
cover up, Sugandi`s killing would have been just another unsolved
mystery.
Authoritative sources said that NCPA after an in-depth investigation
into the late October incident, on Friday obtained Colombo Chief
Magistrate Macky Mohammed`s permission to arrest the monk who is also
the Vice Principal of a leading government school at Veyangoda.
Officers from the police unit attached to the NCPA Friday searched
Ubayasekararamaya but found the chief suspect missing. Police are also
looking for the manageress of the day care centre and her son who are
believed to have witnessed the attack. The manageress is believed to
have been aware of the sexual abuse of the child by the monk.
The investigation revealed that the girl had been killed by dashing
her head on a wall. Medical inquiries revealed that she had been raped,
allegedly by the main suspect. Initially local police declined to act on
evidence which clearly revealed the chief suspect`s involvement, the
sources said.
The victim`s mother Vajira Priyadarshini led a street protest before
Attanagalle Acting Magistrate Samitha Kodisinghe ordered Sugandi`s body
be exhumed. The sources said that the NCPA swiftly moved in and brought
the case before the Colombo Magistrate`s court amidst allegations that
local authorities weren`t interested in pursuing the investigation.
According to two eight year old girls who had been at the temple at
the time the suspect grabbed Sugandi by her hair and dashed her head on
the wall, the manageress of the day care centre and her son had come
with the victim to meet the chief incumbent. They had come in a white
coloured van. According to their statements given to the NCPA, Sugandi
had collapsed in the temple.
Authorities also called a second post mortem after to establish the exact cause of Sugandi`s death, the sources said.
Well informed sources said that the three persons wanted for
questioning in this connection were expected to surrender to NCPA
through their lawyers.
The sources said that Police Headquarters and the Judicial Service
Commission as well as the Justice Ministry should investigate lapses on
the part of local authorities coming under their purview to ascertain
whether an organized attempt was made to shield the suspects.
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