Published on - 2/8/2008
THE WOMAN who had brought the bomb which exploded in a private bus at Dambulla on Saturday, was arrested by Dambulla police yesterday, while she was undergoing treatment for burn injuries at the Dambulla hospital.
Police investigations had revealed that the suspect, who is a Sinhala woman, had been born in Kengalla, Kandy, but had lived in Killinochchi since the age of 14. Dambulla HQI, Tissa Lal De Silva, said that although the suspect was Sinhala she could not speak Sinhala properly and it was suspected that the bomb had exploded while it was being taken to Anuradhapura to be set off near the Ruwanweliseya.
Police said that the suspect had come with her mother. She had kept the parcel at the front of the vehicle. She and her mother had not sat next to each other on the bus. Both of them had sustained injuries due to the blast and been admitted to the Dambulla hospital. Police said that the suspect had been identified as 48 year old P.G. Hemalatha.
The suspect had told police that she went to Killinochchi with a Tamil youth at the age of 14 and that she has two sons who are members of the LTTE. Police said that the woman's first visit to Kengalla, after she left, was eight years later. Thereafter she had visited her village on several occasions and had even constructed a house there. She had come to Kengalla this time on January 24.
Police said that her mother, who is aged between 65 and 70, was undergoing treatment at the Kurunegala hospital. Police also said that this bomb had exploded in the bus by accident. It had been intended for a target in Anuradhapura.
(Courtesy :Daily mirror)
