Court orders arrest of suspects over controversial death of domestic worker in custody

By T. Farook Thajudeen 

The Colombo Additional Magistrate yesterday ruled the death of R. Rajkumari, a domestic worker who died while in the custody of the Welikada police as a homicide. The Magistrate attributed the death to an assault involving blunt weapons.

Accordingly, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) were ordered to arrest the suspects and produce them before the court. 

The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Rajakaruna following the analysis of a report filed by the CID into the suspicious death of R. Rajkumari which occurred on 11 May this year.  Rajakaruna on the last date of the inquiry fixed to deliver the verdict of the magisterial inquest into the death of the domestic worker on 25 August.  Accordingly, the verdict delivered yesterday by the Magistrate observed that the death was not due to natural causes and instead was due to lethal injuries caused to the victim’s body as a result of assault by blunt weapons. 

The Magistrate also ordered the CID to file a progress report on their investigation in court on 22 October.  R. Rajkumari (41) a resident of Badulla, was arrested by the Welikada Police on 11 May based on a complaint made by her employer, popular businesswoman Sudharma Neththicumara over an alleged theft committed by the victim. 

Rajkumari was arrested by Welikada Police but died while in custody. The family of the victim have maintained that she had been subjected to an assault 

A witness, while testifying, said that he had seen R.Rajkumari being assaulted by the officers of Welikada police. He claimed the domestic worker was in good health when brought to the police but was assaulted while there.