The Nation
By Neminda Samarajeeva
A third year student of the Open University of Sri Lanka at Nawala committed suicide recently by throwing himself before a moving train at Dematagoda.
It transpired at the inquest held by the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths at Ragama, Priyankara Lal that the 26-year-old student was in a depressed state of mind as his parents could not find money for him to pay the course fees which amounted to Rs.32,000.
Testifying at the inquest, the mother of the deceased, a 58-year-old woman from Gothatuwa told the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths that her husband, the sole breadwinner of the family is a carpenter. Her son earned some money giving private tuition to children, to meet the expenses required for his studies. A few days before he committed suicide he wanted his parents to give him Rs.32,000 to pay the course fees. “As we did not have the money we tried to raise a loan from a money lender, but he wanted 25 percent interest,” she said.
The engine driver of the Vavuniya-bound express train said that he saw a youth plunge onto the track from the platform as the train was speeding past the Dematagoda Railway Station. He brought the train to a halt, but it was too late to save the youth. He said that the body of the deceased was later handed over to the Ragama General Hospital.
PS Indika Pradeep of Dematagoda Police led the evidence at the inquest. JMO Ragama Dr. Ms. Indrani Kitulwatte conducted the Post Mortem examination.
The Inquirer into Sudden Deaths returned a verdict of suicide and directed the body be buried in the Gothatuwa Cemetery.
