Post-mortem confirms female physiotherapist was strangled to death

Colombo, June 25 (Daily Mirror) - The post-mortem examination has confirmed that the suspicious death of a female physiotherapist from the Ampara Hospital in the Teldeniya area was a homicide caused by strangulation. The deceased, 33-year-old Shyama Darshani, a resident of Weligama, was found dead inside a car near the Teldeniya Hospital on June 17, an incident that sent shockwaves across the country.

Following suspicions surrounding her death, the police launched an investigation. As a result, early yesterday morning (June 24), the Walana Central Anti-Vice Striking Unit arrested the main suspect linked to the murder, along with his wife and a young child. The 43-year-old suspect, who is alleged to be Shyama’s boyfriend, and his 35-year-old wife, residents of Kosgolla, Horombawa, were arrested by a team of Walana Unit officers while traveling on a bus in the Kaithady area of Chavakachcheri, Jaffna.

Meanwhile, officers from the Nuwara Eliya Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau also arrested a 49-year-old resident of Rajawella yesterday on charges of aiding and abetting the main suspect while he was in hiding. The Police said that the arrested suspects were handed over to the Nuwara Eliya Police Station last night (June 24) for further investigations.

Investigations revealed that Shyama had been staying at a hotel in the Nuwara Eliya area from June 3 to June 16. CCTV footage released to the media showed the suspect carrying Shyama's body out of the hotel room, which has also been integrated into the ongoing police probe.

During interrogations, the main suspect claimed that when he entered the room where Shyama was staying, she had already committed suicide by hanging herself. He alleged that, out of fear, he placed her body in the car and drove it to Teldeniya.

However, the post-mortem examination conducted by Teldeniya Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Mrs. K.S. Bandara has revealed that she did not commit suicide, and that the murder was committed by strangling her with a piece of cloth, a rope, or a similar object.