March 24, LNW (Colombo): Police in Kokkadicholai, along with the Eastern Province Crimes Division, have arrested five suspects, including a woman, over a series of violent robberies that left one woman dead and another injured.
The case came to light on March 20 when authorities found two women inside a well in the Kulluvinamadu area of Nellikkadu. One victim had died, while the other was rescued and admitted to hospital in Batticaloa.
Investigations revealed that the suspects targeted women travelling alone, offering them lifts in a three-wheeler. The victims were allegedly given drinks laced with a substance that caused them to lose consciousness, after which their gold jewellery was stolen.
Police said the suspects then dumped the victims into a well in an attempt to cover up the crimes. The deceased woman, a resident of Kaluwanchikudy, had gone missing on February 28 after visiting a bank and a hospital.
In a separate incident, the surviving victim was travelling with her three-year-old child when she was similarly targeted. After being robbed and thrown into the well, her child was abandoned in a paddy field in Vavunathivu, but was later found safe.
The suspects include two main individuals aged 22 and 34, along with a 26-year-old woman. Two additional men were arrested for handling the stolen jewellery, which has since been recovered. Police say further investigations are ongoing.