Police have sought public assistance to arrest a suspect connected to the incident in Kohuwala on December 30, 2025, in which an attempt was made to murder a 16‑year‑old girl by shooting her.

Preliminary investigations have revealed the gunman responsible for committing this crime.

The suspect has been identified as Arumadura Sameera Silva.

The public with information on the suspect has been requested to contact the Police via the hotline 071-8596408. (Newswire)

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A protest has been held in front of a prominent girls’ school in Bambalapitiya, seeking justice for a former student who died by suicide in Kotahena recently. 

The protesters are calling for the immediate suspension and arrest of a male teacher at the school, who is accused of having sexually abused the schoolgirl, leading to her death.

The protesters have also shown their displeasure over the school principal, whom they have accused of having shielded and protected the perpetrator.

As the protesters were blocking the Duplication Road in Bambalapitiya, Colombo, in front of the school, the Police had deployed Riot control Police officers to the location.

The 16-year-old girl had died by suicide in Kotahena recently, bringing the incident to the spotlight. 

Speaking to the media soon after her death, the parents claimed that her death was linked to her being sexually abused by a male teacher at her former school in Bambalapitiya.

They further said that, prior to her demise, the girl had also been humiliated at a private tuition institute in front of fellow students.

Following a complaint filed at the Bambalapitiya Police, the accused teacher was arrested but later released on bail. 

Addressing the matter, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs said the National Child Protection Authority, under its purview, has launched a probe into the matter. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs states that the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), under its purview, has launched a probe into the death of a schoolgirl in Kotahena recently over allegations of sexual abuse. 

A 16-year-old girl had recently died by suicide, with her parents claiming that her death was linked to the child being sexually abused by a male teacher at her former school in Bambalapitiya and for being humiliated at a private tuition institute in front of fellow students.

Addressing the incident, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs said that investigations conducted by the NCPA had found that the parents had filed a complaint with the Bambalapitiya Police on 08 December 2024, accusing the child’s maths teacher at the former school of having sexually abused her. 

The Bambalapitiya Police had arrested the teacher and produced him in court, after which he was released on a surety, while an overseas travel ban has also been imposed on him.

The ministry further said that based on these facts, the NCPA and the Police Children & Women Bureau have launched a probe into the matter.

As the parents are yet to file a complaint with the NCPA in this regard, the NCPA has summoned them to record statements today. 

The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs said it has also written to the Education Ministry Secretary inquiring about the measures that are to be taken against the accused teacher, as he is attached to a state school which falls under the purview of the Education Ministry. 

The ministry added that several investigations are underway by various entities into the incident. (Newswire)

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New information has come to light regarding the schoolgirl who died by suicide in Kotahena recently, with her parents revealing that their child had been pushed to the decision due to being cornered and humiliated over an incident of sexual abuse at her former school in Bambalapitiya. 

Speaking during a special media briefing, the mother of the child said the girl, who was to sit for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination this year, had been sexually abused by a male school teacher at her former school.

“Upon being informed that my daughter was making false claims, I took her to a doctor, who confirmed that she had been sexually molested. The doctor then informed the Police, after which the suspect was arrested and granted bail. They recorded a statement from us. But that is all we know, as we have not heard any other update. I did not look into it as I was focused on protecting my child,” she said. 

The mother revealed that she had taken measures to move the child to another school in Kotahena, where she was well taken care of by the teachers.

She said, however, a recent incident at a private tuition class, where an official at the institute had openly humiliated her in front of other students, revealing details of the case, claiming she is involved in a Police case, and telling her not to attend classes, had emotionally affected her. 

“My child was put in a situation where she could not go anywhere. Everyone kept questioning her about this incident. Information was spread, portraying her in a bad light. The details came out only after the incident that occurred in the private tuition institute. My daughter cried to me, saying that the institute official had humiliated her by stating false information. My child questioned why she was being penalized when she had not done anything wrong,” she said.

The mother of the deceased schoolgirl said the teacher who had been accused by her daughter had been granted bail over the incident and is continuing to teach at the girl’s former school.

She further revealed that the Police case had not been followed up, adding that the Education Ministry had also not contacted them in this regard. 

Also addressing the media briefing, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, called out the Education Ministry for failing to intervene in the matter.

Joseph Stalin said that, in the event of an incident, it is mandatory for the Education Ministry to intervene and investigate, but in this instance, the ministry had failed to do so. 

“The incident had occurred at a state school. There are Tamil-speaking officials. Even though complaints by children are reported at several state schools, these are not investigated. They do not do it. They wait until a child loses his/her life,” he said. 

Joseph Stalin pointed out that if the authorities, including the Education Ministry, had taken timely measures and investigated incidents together with the Police, these student deaths could have been prevented.

Urging that the child and her family need justice, the CTU General Secretary called on the Education Ministry to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and initiate legal action against those found responsible. 

Joseph Stalin added that a request has also been made from the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct a probe into the matter. (Newswire)

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Seven suspects, including six school students, have been arrested by the Homagama Police over the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

According to the Police, the suspects were arrested based on a complaint filed by the victim and her parents. 

The victim has been admitted to the Homagama Base Hospital for a medical examination. 

Preliminary investigations have found that the girl had left the house claiming to attend tuition class, but had instead gone to meet her boyfriend. The boy had taken her to his friend’s house in Homagama and had allegedly raped her. 

Investigations have found that the boy had taken her to the houses of three of his friends between 09.00 am and 03.00 pm, during which she had been sexually molested by the boy and his friends. 

The arrested suspects are students of a school in Homagama and residents of the area. Police state that among the suspects, the five schoolboys are aged between 15 and 16 years, while the other two suspects are aged 17 and 19 years.

The motorcycle used by the suspects to transport the girl has been taken into Police custody. The suspects are to be produced before the Homagama Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Police has felicitated a youth who had attempted to rescue a 19-year-old girl who was abducted in the Davulagala area in Gampola in January. 

The youth, who had sustained several injuries in the incident, was recognized for his heroic rescue attempt.

Video footage emerged of the girl being kidnapped by a group in a van on 11 January, with many social media users praising the youth for his brave attempt to rescue the schoolgirl.

At the time, Police investigations revealed that the main suspect in the abduction was the girl’s relative from her paternal side, and it was caused over marriage issues. (Newswire)

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A female school student was apprehended for the possession of heroin in the Kurundhuwatte area in Ambalangoda last evening.

It is reported that she was arrested by officials from the Elpitiya Divisional Crime Unit. 

The arrested girl is a 17-year-old student of a state school in Ambalangoda, preparing to sit for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination this year.

The Police said preliminary investigations have revealed that the girl’s brother who had been remanded for drug peddling had returned home three days before. 

In his absence, his wife had operated the drug business, and as she was a mother to a young child and could not meet clients, she had used the girl to meet clients and receive payments. (Newswire)

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The 19-year-old schoolgirl who was recently abducted in the Davulagala area in Gampola has been found and taken into Police custody.

The Police said the suspect involved in the abduction was also taken into Police custody this morning. 

According to the Police, the duo had been taken into custody while waiting in an air-conditioned bus that was to leave for Kandy from the Ampara bus stand. 

The Police said the abductor had informed the girl that he was sending her home and had boarded the bus to Kandy, while he had also threatened her to remain quiet. 

The girl was kidnapped by a group in a van on Saturday morning (11 Jan), which was caught on a CCTV camera installed in the area. 

Police investigations revealed she had been residing at a hostel in the Handessa area, and had been abducted at a time when she and a friend had been leaving for school.

It was also found that the main suspect in the abduction was the girl’s relative from her paternal side, and it was caused over marriage issues.

Soon after, the Police arrested the driver of the van, while also taking into custody the vehicle used for the abduction.  

Three Police teams had also been deployed to find the missing girl and her abductors. (Newswire)

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A youth who had attempted to rescue a 19-year-old girl who was abducted in the Davulagala area in Gampola recently, has sustained several injuries due to his rescue attempt.

Speaking to the media, the youth said he had partially climbed into the vehicle and had fought with the abductors trying to get them to release the girl.

He said there were three persons inside the back of the vehicle at the time of the abduction, but they had continued to drive off, eventually pushing him out of the vehicle.

The youth said he had fallen onto the road, during which he had sustained injuries to his face, hands, and leg. 

Video footage emerged of the girl being kidnapped by a group in a van on Saturday morning (11 Jan). Many social media users had praised the youth for his brave attempt to rescue the schoolgirl.

Police investigations revealed she had been residing at a hostel in the Handessa area, and had been abducted at a time when she and a friend had been leaving for school.

The Police said it has also been found that the main suspect in the abduction was the girl’s relative from her paternal side, and it was caused over marriage issues.

The driver of the van has been arrested as of now, while the vehicle used for the abduction has also been taken into Police custody. However, the whereabouts, of the missing girl and the suspects remain unknown.

Three Police teams have been deployed to find the missing girl and her abductors. (Newswire)

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Three more schoolboys have been arrested in connection to the sexual abuse and gangrape of a Grade 11 schoolgirl in Thanamalvila, it was reported. 

According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, the three boys, aged 15 and 16 years old, are students of a school in Lunugamvehera. 

The suspects were arrested by the Lunugamvehera Police yesterday based on statements recorded from the victim. 

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the schoolboys were friends of the victim and had sexually abused her when she had attended an event at a school in Lunugamvehera in April this year. 

The sexual abuse and gangrape of the victim had come to light after the victim’s mother had filed a complaint in this regard with the Thanamalvila Police.

17 schoolboys were initially arrested for having sexually abused and gang-raped the victim on seven occassions during the course of last year. 

Following their arrest, the principal and three teachers from the victim’s school, who had concealed the incident to safeguard the reputation of the school, were later arrested over the incident.

The schoolboys initially arrested are in remand custody, while the principal and teachers arrested for concealing the incident were released on bails of two sureties of Rs. 200,000 each. (Newswire)

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A 16-year-old schoolgirl has been found dead in a rubber estate in the Nivithigala area on Monday (July 08).

According to the Police, the deceased has been identified as a resident of the Watapotha area.

Police investigations reveal that the girl’s mother operates a store close to the Watapotha Buddhist Temple and that the girl had been at home alone due to not attending school.

Hence, the mother is reported to have informed her via telephone to come to the store and as the child had delayed to arrive, she had gone in search of her.

While en route to her house, the child’s mother had found her daughter’s body amidst a rubber estate. 

The Police suspect that the branch of a rubber tree may have fallen on her resulting in her death.

The Nivithigala Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (Newswire)

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A 14-year-old student of the Panagoda Parakrama Vidyalaya in Athurugiriya has died due to a sudden illness, it was reported.

According to Lankadeepa, the Grade 09 student was pronounced dead after being admitted to the Oruwala District Hospital. 

The deceased has been identified as a 14-year-old resident of the Mullegama area in Homagama. 

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the girl had informed her mother of pain in her hand while studying with her friends at her house after school yesterday.

The child’s mother had tended to home medication after which she had returned to studying with her friends but had suddenly vomited and collapsed.

The girl was rushed to the Oruwala District Hospital where she was pronounced dead after being examined by doctors at the hospital. (NewsWire)

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Another arrest has been made in connection to the recent death of a 16-year-old girl in Kalutara. 

The Police stated that the wife of the owner of the Kalutara hotel where the victim had stayed prior to her death has been arrested.

The woman has been arrested for not properly checking the identity of the girl before providing accommodation at the hotel. 

The 16-year-old girl was found dead on the railway tracks near the hotel premises during Vesak weekend.  

Investigations had revealed that she had been brought to the hotel by her friend and two other men, while the cause of her death is yet to be ascertained.

A couple and a man who had driven the vehicle that transported them to the hotel were arrested after surrendering to the Police. 

The chief suspect, who was last seen with the victim prior to her death, was arrested in Galle this week. 

The Kalutara Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire)

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The Chief suspect arrested over the death of a 16-year-old girl in Kalutara recently has revealed that the victim had died by suicide after receiving a telephone call from a friend, it was reported.

The suspect had allegedly told the Police that while staying inside the hotel room, the victim had received a phone call after which she had become agitated and had jumped from the window of the room. 

According to Mawbima, the suspect had informed the Police that she had died by suicide, adding that he had not pushed her and neither had she accidentally fallen over.

Investigations have revealed that the victim had been introduced to the suspect by the couple who had accompanied them to the hotel.

Upon arriving at Kalutara Town, the couple along with the victim had gotten into the suspect’s vehicle after which they had travelled to the hotel.

Two rooms on the fifth floor had been booked by the group after which they had settled in one room and had consumed alcohol. The couple had left the room, while the suspect and the victim had remained in the room, the suspect revealed. 

According to the suspect, his friend had called the victim on her mobile phone and had teased her after which she had jumped from the window. 

The Police state that there are suspicions in this regard as the window was too small for a person to be pushed and that there were no marks on the window ledges.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Police to ascertain the truth of the statements given by the key suspect. (NewsWire)

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The key suspect wanted over the death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kalutara has been arrested in Galle.

The Police stated that the 29-year-old suspect was arrested in Galle early this morning by a team from the Crimes Unit of the Kalutara South Police. 

Investigations have revealed that the victim had visited a hotel with a group of male and female friends after which she was found dead on the railway tracks by the side of the hotel premises on Saturday (May 06). 

A couple and another individual were initially arrested over the death, while the chief suspect is reported to have fled the area following the victim’s death.

However, the suspect, who is reported to have been last seen with the victim at the hotel, was arrested in Galle early today. 

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother has appealed to the media to refrain from publishing false information about her deceased daughter.

Speaking to the media, the woman said that her daughter had been at home and had been forcibly taken out under the pretext of attending a Vesak Dansal by a particular female friend.

Expressing dislike for the friend, the woman said that her daughter had been allowed to go after much pleading by the friend and had left in home attire. 

The mother of the victim has accused the friend of having dragged along her daughter so that she could meet up with her boyfriend and in the process had put her child’s life in danger by leaving her with an unknown man. 

Requesting the media to only publish accurate information and to refrain from slandering her daughter’s reputation, the woman has called for justice over her child’s murder. (NewsWire)

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A 15-year-old girl has died after being hit by a train plying from Matara to Galle between the Nupe railway crossing and Pamburana Railway Station in Matara last evening.

The Police stated that the deceased is a resident of Bentotagewatte, Hitthetiya and a Grade 11 student of the Hitthetiya Dharmaraja Vidyalaya. 

Investigations have revealed that she had been hit by the train while walking along the railway tracks along with two other friends after having attended a musical show. 

The Matara Police is conducting investigations into the accident. (NewsWire)

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