A Report On An Ordinary Incident In Dehiwala
By V. Kanthaiya –July 6, 2016
Prelude
This report is an attempt to educate the citizens of Sri Lanka how to respond to a situation where they have been assaulted with a knife, based on the experience of mine.
Factual Account Of The Incident
On 25th May, I set out at 5.00 am and started to jog. My jogging trail is through Kawdana road to the Eagle Lake Side Hotel and then through the lake drive adjacent to the lake towards the Attidiya Road. When I reached Eagle Lake Side, I noted two individuals near a parked Honda super cup type motor cycle. As I passed the hotel, the motorcycle passed me towards Attidiya Junction, and the riders were not wearing any helmets. I turned towards the lake drive and within 100 m from the late top, again the motorcycle passed me and stopped. The pillion rider, a short skinny guy came towards me and asked me something.
I had my earphones on and playing music. The initial idea I had was that this stranger was asking me how to go to the Attidiya Road, which had happened to me several times earlier. I stopped and removed my earphones to listen to him. Then the unexpected happened. The stranger tried to grab my jersey and I automatically responded by pushing him away. He tried to assault me with his fist and I defended with my left forearm. Again he came close to me and tried to assault me and I defended. The third time the stranger came close to me and targeted my face, this time with a knife. I desperately put my left hand to cover my face and felt the pain of a sharp object sliding through the skin of my fingers and palm. Now, for the first time I heard my assailants words, ‘Phone Eka Dheepang’. I immediately threw the phone. The guy took the phone, ran quickly to the waiting motor cycle and went towards Attidiya road.
