Robber couple escape after stabbing man, father

A robber couple who came on a motorcycle at Akaravita on the Ja-ela Road in Gampaha, have stabbed to death a person who rushed to prevent them from grabbing his wife’s hand bag on Tuesday evening.

He was stabbed to death when he rushed to the roadside upon hearing his wife screaming near their house, when the robber couple on a motorcycle tried to grab the handbags belonging to her and one of her friends. These two women were walking on the road when this incident took place.

This incident had taken place at about 7.30 pm on Wednesday at Gnanawimala Mawatha, Akaravita, Gampaha. The victim has been identified as Rasika Vinodh (29). He was pronounced dead on admission to the Hospital.

Police said that his father who also sustained injuries following this incident is receiving treatment at the Gampaha hospital. Police said the two women were returning home after work when this incident took place. A man and a woman who arrived on a motorcycle, the police said had been getting ready to grab the handbag of one woman. The robbery had been about to take place near one woman’s house when that woman had shouted out. The woman’s husband and father, hearing the screaming had arrived at the scene, police said. When they tried to assault the thief, he had taken a knife and stabbed the husband. The man and woman had abandoned the motorcycle they had arrived on and fled, according to the police.

Gampaha Magistrate Manjula Karunaratne carried out the magistrate’s inquiry yesterday (21). Magistrate Manjula Karunaratne, who conducted the on-site examination of the victim ordered the Gampaha forensic medical officer to conduct a post-mortem examination regarding the death. Court ordered authorities to hand over the body to the next of kin after the post-mortem. Investigations are underway to arrest those who carried out the stabbing.