The businessman who was arrested in connection with the murder of 52-year-old Pradeepa Silva from Mulleriyawa has confessed to the murder.
He had told police that he killed her along with his accomplice, the second suspect who works as a kapuwa and after dismembering her body, they threw the parts into the canal near Sapugaskanda Power House.
The kapuwa who had a long relationship with the businessman and also known about his affair with the woman. During questioning, the businessman had told the police that this woman had become a nuisance to him and she had been harassing him asking for money from time to time.
The businessman had said he was mentally stressed due to this and one day the kapuwa had asked him about it and had suggested that the best way to get rid of her was to kill the woman.
When the businessman had said he did not have the strength to do it the kapuwa had had offered to do it for him.
The businessman had said the kapuwa who was hiding in the house had attacked the woman with a knife when she entered the house and later both of them had carried her body parts and dumped them in the river. The police said the businessman had fled to Nuwara Eliya as his wife and children reside there.
Two suspects including the main suspect wanted in connection with the murder of the 52-year-old woman Pradeepa Silva from Mulleriyawa whose mutilated body was recently discovered on the banks of the Kelani River in the Siyamabalape area, surrendered to the police yesterday.
The two suspects had arrived along with their lawyers and surrendered to the Sapugaskanda Police. The main suspect is said to be a 53-year-old businessman from Siyamabalape named B.J. Sudeera while the other suspect, is a 48-year-old man working as a ‘Kapuwa’ also from the same area.
The second suspect had allegedly assisted the main suspect to dismember and mutilate the victim’s body in an attempt to prevent its identification. The suspect, a businessman residing in Siyamabalape, had allegedly been having a relationship with the deceased and investigations have revealed that they had disputes over money-related issues, a police officer said.
He said by questioning the suspects more details can be unearthed.
The businessman, after killing the woman in his house in Siyambalape, had fled to Nuwara Eliya with his associate.
It has been revealed that after going there, he went to Saddharma temple and asked for accommodation. According to the Chief Incumbent of the temple they had asked for accommodation for three days.
The temple usually provides accommodation for pilgrims. Although, they said that they wanted to stay for three days and obtained accommodation, the two of them suddenly prepared to leave the temple on September 29.
The Thera said the duo left the temple by handing over the key and another set of keys along with the phone, saying that the car will be parked inside the temple premises as the expenses are too high to take it to Colombo. They had said they will come back shortly.
After it was revealed that this car belonged to the businessman wanted by the police in connection with the murder, Premalal Hettiarachchi, Police Inspector of Nuwara Eliya, had taken it into police custody.
Police investigation had started after the body of the woman, who was reported missing since September 27, was recovered on September 28, from the banks of the Kelani River. The deceased was found decapitated and dismembered.
Her daughter had filed a complaint at the Mulleriyawa Police on September 27, claiming that her mother had gone missing.
CCTV footage obtained during the investigation revealed that the deceased had met the main suspect outside a restaurant in the Kaduwela town, following which the duo left in his car.
The police found blood stains, strands of hair and shreds of women’s clothing at the suspect’s house in Siyamabalape.
