MEDICAL STUDENT POISONS FIANCÉE AND COMMITS SUICIDE

A final year male student of the Colombo North Medical Faculty had induced a female undergrad- uate of the Moratuwa University to drink a sachet of milk containing poison and, after killing her, had committed suicide at his home in Polgahawela, police said.

The dead woman Maheshika Priyangani Kularatne (24) a student of the University of Moratuwa was a resident of Oluwawatte Marassana, Peradeniya. The man who killed her was Amila Chathuranga (25); he had later injec- ted himself with poison and died after admission to the Kurunegala Hospital.

The couple had quarrelled and the man had forced Priyangani to swallow an overdose of sleeping tablets. She had later been admitted to the Marassana Hospital (on April 20th) and been transferred to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital for further treatment the next day.

After treatment she had recovered her health but stayed on at the hospital till her parents came to take her home.

The boyfriend had visited her twice in hospital after she recovered. On his second visit, at about 8.00 pm, he had given her a sachet of milk and a packet of gram and left, police said.

As soon as she consumed the milk she had begun to shiver, and the hospital staff had rushed her to a ward as her condition worsened.

Despite

After treatment she had recovered her health but stayed on at the hospital till her parents came to take her home. The boyfriend had visited her twice in hospital after she recovered. On his second visit, at about 8.00 pm, he had given her a sachet of milk and a packet of gram and left, police said

urgent medical attention she had died soon afterwards. It is suspected that a virulent poison had been added to the milk. It was reported that the mother of the poisoner is a government doctor.

The post mortem of the female student was done by the assistant JMO of the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital who released an open statement and informed police that the cause of death would be released later. The victim’s stomach parts and other items have been sent to the government analyst for further investigations.

Investigations are proceeding under the direction of Central Province Senior DIG H.N.B. Ambanwala.