Main suspects arrested in Jaffna over female physiotherapist’s body found in car

Jaffna, June 24 (Daily Mirror) - Police have arrested the main suspect in the case involving the discovery of a woman’s body inside a parked car in the Teldeniya area, along with his wife and a young child, during a joint operation in Jaffna.

The arrest was carried out early Tuesday by officers of the Jaffna Division Crime Investigation Bureau and the Walana Anti-Corruption Unit. Acting on intelligence information, officers intercepted the suspects while they were travelling by bus from Wellawatte to Chavakachcheri.

According to the police, the main suspect, identified as the deceased woman’s boyfriend, was wearing a face mask to conceal his identity at the time of arrest, while his wife had allegedly disguised herself as a Muslim woman. During initial questioning, the suspect reportedly told the police that they had planned to travel from Vavuniya to Kurunegala to meet their two other children before surrendering to the police.

Investigations have revealed that the suspects had been hiding in the Negombo and Chilaw areas in recent days and had allegedly attempted to leave the country through illegal sea routes. The suspects are expected to be handed over to the Nuwara Eliya Police for further investigations.

The case stems from the discovery of a woman’s body inside a parked vehicle in Teldeniya on June 17. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Shamya Darshani, a physiotherapist attached to Ampara General Hospital.

Police allege that her boyfriend, a software engineer residing in Gannoruwa, abandoned her body inside the vehicle before fleeing the area.

The investigation gained momentum following a complaint lodged with the Nuwara Eliya Police by a resident of Kotavewa, Talawa, who requested officers to check on his sister after losing contact with her while she was staying at an apartment in Nuwara Eliya.

Although officers who searched the apartment initially found no one inside, a review of CCTV footage reportedly showed the suspect arriving at the apartment at around 9:50 p.m. on June 16. Approximately 40 minutes later, he was allegedly seen carrying the unconscious woman out of the building, placing her in a vehicle and leaving the area.