By The Police have asked the public to be careful when selecting individuals on a daily wage basis
A number of crimes committed by gardeners, handymen, and domestic helpers have been reported in recent days.
The Kurunduwatta Police have started an extensive investigation regarding the mysterious death of a retired music teacher, Mithrani Fernando Smith, at her residence at Wijerama Road, Colombo 7.
The deceased female teacher, Mithrani Fernando Smith, who is 75 years old, was living by herself and had hired a gardener from the Dematagoda area.
Police suspect that she died on December 15 and that she had been living alone. On December 15, around 3 p.m., she was ready to conduct private classes and was waiting for the children to arrive, but later when her nephew arrived, he found the doors of the house open and the electricity in the house had been cut off, and the Kuruduwatta Police found her lying on the floor of the house. Police called the 1990 ambulance service to the spot, and medical personnel in the ambulance checked her and informed them she was dead.
Police have discovered that her husband died about one and a half to two years ago, and since then she has been living alone in this house. The police say that she has no children either. Police say the trip switch in the house was found to be off. The police had found a floor polishing machine on the floor where she fell. The machine was connected to electricity. Police have also observed that a wire was broken in one place of the machine. Police suspect she may have died due to electrocution.
The Colombo North Crimes Division said that a 51-year-old resident of Dematagoda has been arrested in connection to the crime; he was supposed to be the gardener at the house on the day of the incident.
The police further said a mobile phone, a laptop, and two gas cylinders that had been stolen by the suspect had also been recovered.
A senior Crimes investigator speaking to lanka Newsline said that in the suburbs of Colombo, a number of criminal gangs who pose as gardeners and handymen have been operating in an organized manner
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Warning to Exercise Caution when Hiring Helpers
The police are urging the public to exercise caution when hiring individuals on a daily wage basis. A number of crimes committed by gardeners, handymen, and domestic helpers have been reported in recent days.
The Kurunduwatta Police have initiated an extensive investigation into the mysterious death of Mithrani Fernando Smith, a retired music teacher, at her residence on Wijerama Road, Colombo 7.
The deceased, 75-year-old teacher Mithrani Fernando Smith, lived alone and had employed a gardener from the Dematagoda area. Police suspect that she died on December 15 while waiting for children to arrive for private classes. When her nephew arrived around 3 p.m., he found the house doors open and the electricity cut off. Kuruduwatta Police discovered her lying on the floor and called the 1990 ambulance service, confirming her death upon medical examination.
Police found that her husband had passed away one and a half to two years ago, leaving her alone in the house without children. The police noted that the trip switch in the house was off and found a floor polishing machine on the floor connected to electricity with a broken wire. They suspect she may have died due to electrocution.
The Colombo North Crimes Division reported the arrest of a 51-year-old resident of Dematagoda, believed to be the gardener at the house on the day of the incident. The police have recovered a mobile phone, a laptop, and two gas cylinders stolen by the suspect
A senior crime investigator, speaking to Lanka Newsline, revealed that in the suburbs of Colombo, several criminal gangs posing as gardeners and handymen have been operating in an organized manner
Lankanewsline Crime Reporter: Ranil Kumara Disaanayaka
