The bodies of a young male and a female who had died by allegedly drinking poison were discovered by Police on Tuesday (2) in Yakkala and Maharagama.
The two individuals are said to have been followers of a 46-year-old religious preacher and philosopher who had committed suicide in the Makumbura, Homagama area recently.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa told Daily News that investigations related to seven deaths due to suicide that had occurred under similar suspicious circumstances using similar type of poison within the last few days have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The body of the 34-year-old male, who is identified to be a resident of Thiwolpura, Ambalangoda area, was found at a guest house situated on the Old Road, Maharagama where he has been temporarily staying by the Police.
The body of the 21-year-old woman who is a university student was recovered at her residence in the Rafal Watta, Yakkala area, Police said. The investigation has revealed that the 34-year-old man had come to a guest house in Maharagama Old Road area and stayed there in the afternoon and then informed the management that he would leave around six in the evening.
But since he had not left by seven o’clock in the night, the young man was seen lying unconscious on the bed in his room during a search conducted by the employees. After informing the Maharagama police about the incident, the police arrived on the location and it was revealed that the young man had committed suicide by drinking some kind of strong poison.
An individual identified as “Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne”, who had engaged in religion-related preaching activities in various parts of the country, was found dead from poisoning on December 28 and was believed to have committed suicide.
A few days later on December 31, the deceased preacher’s wife (35) was reported to have committed suicide by consuming poison after feeding poison to her two sons and daughter at their home in Kahantota in Malabe. The woman’s two sons and daughter were aged 9, 8 and 7 years respectively. The 21-year-old woman and 34-year-old man in question had also attended the funeral of the religious preacher in his residence at Thunadahena, Pittugala, Malabe and have given statements to the police when inquired at the funeral house that they are followers of the deceased preacher and that he was their religious leader, Police said.
Information has been received that the 21-year-old young woman from Yakkala Rafal Watta area and the 34-year-old young man from Thiwolpura, Ambalangoda, who committed suicide on the same day around the same time in two different locations were lovers.
Police suspect that all seven deaths were the result of ingestion of the same type of strong poison. The Police said that the investigation is going on to find out whether any sermon of the preacher who killed himself was the cause of the chain of suicide incidents.
Police also stated that investigations are going on with special attention to whether there are other people who have listened to the sermons of this preacher and are addicted to those religious teachings.
Police Inspector Chanaka, Sub Inspector Rajapakse, Police Sergeants 32928 Sirimanna and 60152 Sameera are also involved in the investigation that is being conducted.
Varuna Dayaratne