MAHARAGAMA, SRI LANKA – The bodies of a young man and a woman, suspected to have died by ingesting poison, were found by police in Yakkala and Maharagama on Tuesday. The deceased individuals were reportedly followers of a 46-year-old religious preacher and philosopher who had committed suicide recently in the Makumbura area of Homagama.
According to Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa, investigations into seven deaths by suicide, all under similar suspicious circumstances involving the same type of poison, have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The body of the 34-year-old male was discovered at a guest house in Maharagama, where he had been staying temporarily. Meanwhile, the body of the 21-year-old female university student was found at her residence in Yakkala. Both deaths were suspected to be suicides involving the ingestion of a strong poison.
These incidents come after the apparent suicide of a religious leader, “Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne,” on December 28. Additionally, on December 31, the leader’s wife was reported to have committed suicide after feeding poison to her two sons and daughter at their home in Malabe.
The 21-year-old woman and 34-year-old man were known to have attended the funeral of the religious preacher and had given statements to the police, identifying themselves as his followers and religious leader, sparking suspicions of a possible connection between their deaths and the preacher’s suicide.
Police suspect that all seven deaths may be linked to the ingestion of the same type of poison and are investigating whether the preacher’s sermons may have been a factor in the incidents. They are also looking into the possibility of other individuals being influenced by the preacher’s teachings.
The investigation into these tragic events is ongoing, with the assistance of several members of law enforcement. The authorities continue to seek answers and understanding in this troubling series of events.