Questions were raised by many people in Sri Lanka and abroad over whether the death of A.M. Ranga Nishantha Rajapaksa (50), Assistant Director of the Department of Foreign Resources of the Treasury, could have been a suicide by cutting a vein, based on evidence provided by his wife and 15-year-old daughter. This is the response to those concerns. Sri Lanka Latest News
The article recalls an incident from 39 years ago during the second JVP insurrection, when Daya Pathirana, the leader of the Independent Students’ Union of the University of Colombo, was allegedly killed by rebels using a jungle knife equipped with a retractable spike and a blade measuring approximately four inches, according to the description provided.
The spike was said to be extremely sharp, while the blade was shorter than the spike. When folded, the handle reportedly made it appear to be a heavy weapon. The weapon was identified as a British-made product that was issued to selected members of the Special Task Force (STF) in early 1986.
During the war period, the weapon was reportedly provided to a select group for personal use in jungle combat and self-defense. It was also said to have been used for hunting animals. However, due to alleged misuse by certain individuals, the weapon was withdrawn by mid-1986. The report further claims that more advanced weapons exist today and alleges that journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga was later killed using an improved device with similar cutting technology.
It is also suspected that Daya Pathirana was attacked with a sharp weapon from both sides of his shoulders before being stabbed with the knife attached to it. Punchiralage Somasiri, who survived despite suffering severe neck injuries, reportedly told the writer that the weapon used was a device with sharp edges lowered from both sides of the shoulder.
However, public opinion at the time widely believed that Pathirana had been killed by having his neck cut with a knife. The article notes that the incident occurred 39 years ago and claims that more advanced tools exist in the modern world today.
By Dharman Wickramaratne
