(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Delft Police have arrested a man suspected of murdering of five people, including three sisters of the same family, who were hacked to death with a sharp weapon in a house near Mavila Harbour in Delft Island, Jaffna.
Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police Nihal Thalduwa said the Jaffna Police Division Criminal Investigation Unit, which conducted the investigation arrested the suspect on Saturday night at a house in the Punkudutivu area when the suspect was about to flee to another area.
Police also recovered three gold necklaces, two pairs of bangles, a single bangle, 8 rings, two earrings, a pendant, a bag of sarees and two mobile phones in the possession of the suspect.
According to the information received by the Delph Police Friday, the bodies of the three women and two men who were hacked to death were found during the inspection of the house.
An elderly woman who was injured in the attack was admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The deceased have been identified as residents of Mavila Harbor Karthikesu Nageswari (83) and Naganadhi Balasingham (82), Balasingham Kanmanipillai (76) and her husband Velayudampillai Nagendra Ratnam (78) who came from abroad and Mahadevan (75) a resident of Jaffna,
The police also said that although the passenger boat service from Delph to Kurikattuan was stopped temporarily to arrest the killer after the killings were reported to the police, the suspect had fled to Kites.
The police said that the suspect had come to Jaffna years ago after residing in a foreign country and it was discovered that he had borrowed money on interest and defaulted on payments.
The Magistrate’s inquiry into the deaths of the deceased persons was held yesterday (22) by Kites Magistrate S. Gajanithyabalan and the bodies were taken to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
The police said that the condition of the injured woman is not serious and they are taking her statement. He said that the arrested suspect is going to take statements based on summoning orders.
Delft Police, Jaffna Division Criminal Investigation Unit and several special police teams are conducting further investigations into the murders.
