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(Lanka-e-News- 03.Aug.2014, 11.30PM) The body of the main eye witness in the case relating to the most controversial criminal incident some time ago involving a Government provincial council (PC) member who forced a teacher of Navodha national school , , Navagathegama , Anamaduwa , Puttalam to fall at his feet and kneel down before him , had been found today inside a well.The death of 53 years old Punyasoma Bandara the chief witness who saw the incident , and gave evidence incriminating the PC member Ananda Sarath Kumara is suspected to be a homicide although the police and political bigwigs have already dressed the scene to look that he died by falling into the well following intoxication, according to information reaching Lanka e news inside information division.
According to the laws of the country , no matter what statement the complainant makes , the court decides on the guilt of the accused and holds him/her liable based on evidence given in court. It was Puniyasoma who was the prime witness in this case who saw with his own eyes how the teacher was made to fall at the feet and kneel down before the accused , the PC member. There were also other eye witnesses to this incident , but they did not give evidence in court due to threats posed to them.
It is reported that the PC member and his private secretary had threatened Punyasoma on two occasions prior to his giving evidence in court. He was warned by them , ‘if you love your life , distort the facts and give evidence without telling what you really saw. Remember you are not living in Colombo 07 , and you are a resident of Navagathegama village.’
The SSP in charge of the region too had phoned Punyasoma and instructed him to say in court that he did not witness the incident. Oblivious of all these threats and intimidation , Punyasoma conducted himself bravely and truthfully: he told the police as well as the court twice that he saw Ananda Sarath Kumara the government PC member carrying a club and forcing the teacher to kneel down.
After the culprit Ananda Sarath Kumara was found guilty , and sentenced , Punyasoma had on three occasions told his neighbors that there is a group trying to kill him. However , when he went to the police to lodge a complaint several times , his complaint was not accepted by the police.
Wife and two sons of murdered Punyasoma are living in Italy , while his daughter is living separately in another province after marriage. Punyasoma has therefore been residing in a house of his ,alone in front of the school.
The body of Punyasoma was found 31st at about 4.00p.m in a well about 50 meters away from his house that has gone dry following the drought. His body was seen by people with the face downwards , and his wife’s younger brother Chandrasena Bandara had identified the body who had also revealed that Punyasoma was missing for 3 to 4 days.
When the body was taken out , the rear side of the neck bore a mark of attack, while below the region of the lungs was swollen somewhat . An empty arrack bottle and a cigarette were also said to be found near the well.
It is learnt that , already , SSP W.S.Sandungahawatte and ASP Adhikari have together concocted a story in this connection. That is , Punyasoma fell into the well under the influence of liquor. The medical and police reports are being made to support this story, and evidence too are being ‘created’ to conform to this conclusion. On the contrary , the residents and his relatives vehemently assert that Punyasoma was never an individual who drank and fell on the streets in his inebriated condition.
The grave fear psychosis gripping the relatives of Punyasoma and residents of the area can be gauged by the fact that none of them had come forward to express they harbor suspicions though they really do , that this death is a homicide.
In this suspected cold blooded murder , surprisingly the police had recorded the statement of Chandrasena , the brother in law of the deceased in the minor offence register. Chandrasena’s statement has been recorded on page 231 paragraph 2.
Chandrasena who was concerned about the safety of his children in the lawless climate of the Rajapakse regime had told the police, ‘my brother was murdered , but I have two children to safeguard , hence you write whatever you wish , I shall look the other way and sign it.’
