MAHARAGAMA, Sri Lanka – Police in Maharagama and Yakkala, Sri Lanka, discovered the bodies of a young man and woman on Tuesday, both of whom are suspected to have died from drinking poison. These individuals were followers of a 46-year-old religious preacher and philosopher who committed suicide recently in the Makumbura, Homagama area.
The Police have now handed over investigations related to seven deaths due to suicide, all under suspicious circumstances involving a similar type of poison, to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The deaths occurred within the last few days, raising concerns about a potential link between the cases.
The 34-year-old man was found at a guest house in Maharagama, where he had been staying temporarily. Police also recovered the body of a 21-year-old woman, a university student, at her residence in Yakkala. The investigation revealed that the man had come to the guest house in Maharagama in the afternoon, ultimately leading to his tragic demise.
These two individuals had attended the funeral of the deceased preacher and had given statements to the police at the funeral house, claiming to be followers of the preacher and referring to him as their religious leader. Additionally, it has been reported that the young woman and man who both committed suicide on the same day were believed to be lovers.
Police suspect that all seven deaths were the result of ingesting the same type of strong poison. Investigators are now focusing on determining whether any of the preacher’s sermons may have influenced this chain of suicide incidents, as well as whether there are other individuals who were similarly influenced by his teachings.
The investigation is ongoing, with special attention given to anyone else who may have followed the preacher’s teachings. This is a tragic situation that has deeply affected the community and authorities are working diligently to understand the underlying causes of these troubling events.