Magistrate rules it as a murder

• Relatives of Rajakumari alleged that she had been assaulted and killed
• Disciplinary action was taken against seven police officers of Welikada Police

By T. Farook Thajudeen   

Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala yesterday ruled that the death of housemaid Rajakumari while being under arrest at Welikada Police is a homicide caused by assault with blunt weapons and ordered the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to arrest the suspects and to produce them in Court.  

He made this order while observing the report filed by the CID during the magisterial inquiry into her death.  

The verdict observed that the death was not due to natural causes, but due to lethal injuries caused to the victim’s body from assaults with blunt weapons. The Magistrate ordered the CID to arrest the perpetrators.  
 Rajakumari ,41, a resident of Badulla, was arrested by the Welikada Police on May 11 on a complaint made by her employer Sudharma Neththicumara, who had complained to Welikada Police claiming that her gold jewellery was stolen by her housemaid Rajakumari.  

A witness named Mahendra Suresh, while testifying, said that he had seen Rajakumari being assaulted by officers of the Welikada police. The witness was arrested at the Pettah bus stand and taken to a house at Cotta Road in Borella, where the deceased woman was employed.  

The witness said both he and Rajakumari were handcuffed together, and at that point, she had been in good health. After bringing them to the Welikada police station, two police officers had assaulted both him and Rajakumari.