Assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga

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Assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga
Part of the 1987-1989 JVP insurgency
Vijaya kumaratunga Death scene.jpg
blood spilt (left corner) over the place following the shooting
LocationPolhengoda, Colombo
DateFebruary 16, 1988; 33 years ago (1988-02-16)
12:20 p.m. (Sri Lanka Time)
Target
Attack type
  • Political assassination
  • shooting
Weapons
DeathsVijaya Kumaratunga (died February 16, 1988, at 12:22 p.m. from his injuries)
InjuredSarath Upali (later died on April 25, 1988 at the Colombo General Hospital)
PerpetratorsLionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini
Tarzan Weerasinghe alias Herath
MotiveRevenge for criticizing the Deshapremi Janatha Vyaparaya

Vijaya Kumaratunga, the Founder of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, was assassinated by an assassin of Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya on February 16, 1988, while leaving his home at Polhengoda in Colombo.[1] Shot in the head as he reached the gate, Kumaratunga died on same day at 12:22 pm, before taking into the hospital. He was the husband of former president of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga and with his funeral created an extended period of national mourning.

Background[]

Main articles: Vijaya Kumaratunga and 1987-1989 JVP insurrection

Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga was born on 9 October 1945 in Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka. In 1967, he started his film career and reached his peak with the romantic film Hanthane Kathawa directed by Sugathapala Senarath Yapa.[2] Later he became a sensation among the public with several blockbuster movies, where he won the award for the Most Popular Actor from 1983 to 1988 in multiple events. He had acted in 122 films at the time of his demise where eight of them were posthumous release.[3]

However his cinema life changed when he entered politics with Lanka Sama Samaja Party. In 1978, he married Chandrika Bandaranaike and later joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and became its first national organizer.[4] After 1982 presidential campaign for Hector Kobbekaduwa, Vijaya was accused of being a Naxalite and jailed under the emergency regulations of President J. R. Jayewardene, but he was never charged.[5] Meanwhile in 1986, Vijaya visited Jaffna, then controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and met with local Tamil civilians, as well as several LTTE youth leaders.[6]

During this period, Marxist politician Rohana Wijeweera founded Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and started several revolutionary steps towards government and the civilians. In 1971, they ran a failed 1971 JVP Insurrection where they launched an open revolt against Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike's government. Later, Wijeweera and the other major leaders of the insurgency were sentenced to prison and the JVP was banned as a political party. However in 1977 J. R. Jayewardene released them after the UNP won the general election. On 15 December 1986, the JVP abducted and murdered Daya Pathirana, leader of the Independent Students' Union (ISU) of the University of Colombo. Then in 1987, JVP attacked the Pallekele Army Camp in Kandy and started their 1987–1989 JVP insurrection.

During this period, Vijaya is working in support of the peace agreement signed between India and Sri Lanka and is strongly criticized JVP army movement. Vijaya's party supported the Accord, but was opposed to the presence of Indian troops. His party also campaigned for lifting the ban on the JVP.[7] Vijaya also support for the provincial council system. This has led Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (Patriotic People's Movement) to take quick actions against Vijaya and finally decided to assassinate by the high command. Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya was a vehemently anti-Indian organisation affiliated to the Marxist and the military arm of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.[8] On the day of Vijaya’s funeral, the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya issued a leaflet discussing the reasons for his assassination. The main reason was his support for the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed in 1987, and the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and the Provincial Councils that came in its wake. He was even accused of being a CIA agent.[9]

Preparations[]

Before the assassination, Vijaya received several death threats from Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya.[10] Defying the treats, Vijaya severely criticized its campaign of terror. The decision to assassinate Vijaya was planned by Colombo District Secretary Lalith Wijeratne alias Jayantha since 1980.[11] Search for information handled by Piyasiri, Kolonnawa. The discussions were held at the St. Mitchell Hotel in Piliyandala. Lionel Ranasinghe got the contract through Tarzan Weerasinghe. The gun used in the assassination was a firearm hijacked by the JVP from a bodyguard of then UNP government minister Gamini Lokuge.[12]

The responsibility to assassinate Vijaya was given to Lionel Ranasinghe, alias Gamini. Before killing Vijay, Gamini and his biker Tarzan spied around Vijay's house for a few days. Gamini also rented a small boutique near Vijaya's house for this work which was taken by Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya for their businesses.[13] The motorcycle was kept at a residence of a witness identified as Foenander. A cricketing bag contained the T-56 gun was kept at the residence of another witness identified as Dharmadasa.[14]

Assassination of Vijaya[]

On 16 February 1988, Gamini and Tarzan Weerasinghe decided to kill Vijaya. Vijaya participated in the Puttalam District Conference of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party in Chilaw and returned home around 11.30 am. Then he was talking to several people under the mango tree in front of the house at Kirulapone Thalakotuwa Estate.[15] Gamini took the T56 weapon in one hand. They also put a grenade in the bag and drove with Tarzan to the shop they picked up at Kirulapone. The two of them approached the shop and waited for Vijay to come out of the house. Gamini saw Vijay coming out of the house and talking to someone in front of the house. Then Gamini picked up the weapon and went to Vijay's house with Tarzan. Vijaya was near the gate where he was shot twice in back while Gamini sitting in the back seat of the motorcycle. After the gunshot, Vijaya fell to the ground and Gamini got off the motorcycle and shot Vijay in the head by thinking that Vijaya would not die in the first shooting.[13][16]

After the autopsy, Chief Judicial Medical Officer of the Colombo General Hospital, Dr. M. S. L. Salgado stated that the death had occurred due to injuries to the neck and head.[15] Police later found 14 empty shell casings from the death area. Sarath Upali, the Assistant Secretary of the Ragama Branch of the People's Party and a painter was also shot and wounded at the time of the shooting death of Vijaya. He also fell seriously ill and died on April 25, 1988, at the Colombo General Hospital.[12]

Flight and capture of the conspirators[]

Dayaratne, who was Vijaya's driver, got into a double cab parked in the backyard with the intention of chasing the killers, but he had to change his mind as the assassins were preparing to fire at him. Dayaratne ran into the house with Lalith, Vijaya's guard and got into the double cab with a firearm. The firearm was in Lalith's hand and Dayaratne was driving the cab at high speed. Dayaratne and Lalith saw the killers fleeing towards Kirulapone on Polhengoda Road while the killers were fleeing on a CD 200 motorcycle. Dayaratne and Lalith had just escaped from the Kirulapone cemetery as they chased the killers along Siebel Avenue on Polhengoda Road.[13] The CD 200 Honda motorcycle numbered 90 Sri 4320 was found abandoned near the Kalubowila Hospital. Further investigations have revealed that the motorcycle was hijacked on January 18 at Thimbiriya, Ihalagama, Nikaweratiya.[15]

As such, they had diverted the cab to the Kirulapone Police Station. As soon as he lodged a complaint with the Kirulapone Police, investigations into Vijaya's murders were launched by a team led by Inspector Nandana Wijeratne, the then OIC of the CID. Inspector Wijeratne went to Vijaya's house in Polhengoda and began investigations with a police team.[13] There were some witnesses who had not been aware of the assassin's plans when they accommodated his requests. After hearing the news of the shooting, the witnesses realized the intentions of the assassin, but they were frightened to inform the police.[14]

After the shooting, Gamini took the file that Vijay had and looked at what was in it. There were only some useless papers. Then he dropped the file and put the gun to the bag and flee with Tarzan. They went along Polhengoda Road and left the bicycle at the house where the bicycle was told to kept and left the bag with the gun in another house. There was a man called Paala in that house. Gamini gave the gun and a grenade to Paala. Gamini then took off the bloody t-shirt and asked for another t-shirt. Then Gamini and Tarzan came to Piliyandala Road from that house and got on the bus. They went to the Dayasan Tailor shop in Piliyandala and met Sarath there. At 4 pm they left Dayasan tailor shop and came to the house at Dampe. At 9 pm, their leader Asoka came and asked about the incident. The two were later secretly detained by the party at a poultry farm in Gorakapitiya under the inspection of Vijitha. After a while they get a call from the party to come to Maharagama. They then attacked the Ja-Ela Air Force Base and returned to the poultry farm.[17]

Meanwhile, the biggest challenge for the police team was finding the killers' appearance. Police questioned Vijaya's driver, the security guard Lalith and several others around Vijaya at the time of the shooting about the killers' appearance. Based on the information obtained from them, a police team drew a sketch of the killer and for the first time in the history of the Sri Lanka Police, a sketch of an assassin was painted. The police also sent the sketch to the police stations in Colombo and surrounding areas in a bid to expedite the investigation.[13] The sketch was studied by Crime Detective Bureau (CDB) sleuths on surveillance duty.[14]

While investigations were being carried out on Vijaya's killer, Inspector Nandana Wijeratne had received information from one of his private spies. When the police team found him, arrested him and interrogated him, information about a person named Sajith was revealed. During the interrogation of Sajith, information about Gamini was revealed. All of them are strong activists of the Patriotic People's Movement.[13]

When Gamini was arrested in connection with a number of robberies in the Horana Police Division, the police had taken a photograph of him and handed over a copy of the photograph to the National Intelligence Bureau. The photo of Gamini in the possession of the National Intelligence Bureau was similar to the photo painted by the police. Even then, Gamini was wanted in a number of murders.[13] Following the assassination, the Patriotic People's Movement, claimed responsibility in a statement and distributed a pamphlet on 21 February 1988 entitled 'Why Vijaya Kumaratunga was sent?'.[12][18]

Conspirators' trial and execution[]

On March 14, 1989, CDB constables Basil and Dias spotted a person on Bullers Road, resembling the man in the sketch. The arrested Gamini was bundled into a trishaw, took him to the CDB Office. Minister Ranjan Wijeratne visited Gamini who was being held at a Slave Island Police cell more than 20 times during the period. He listened to his confessions and minister ordered SSP Gamini Perera to hand over Gamini to the CID. Therefore, within 24 hours of the arrest, Gamini was handed over to the CID and was taken to the fourth floor of the CID for interrogations under the direction of the then Director, SSP Chandra Jayawardena. On March 24, 1989, Gamini made a 179 pages long confession to the CID about Vijaya's assassination.[13]

The CDB convinced that Gamini was a straight JVP killer who was the first trained assassin of JVP, trained by a former army sergeant in the Ratnapura jungles.[19][14] He was later brought to the Homagama Police Station, was taken out in a Land Cruiser jeep on October 3, 1989, at 7 pm and later killed in a jungle area in Padukka at around 1 am the next morning. The body was put on the tires and burned.[20]

On December 25, 1990, the security forces went to the house of Tarzan's friend Nimal Gunasinghe in Angulana, Moratuwa to capture Tarzan. But he was not there and was later arrested by CID near Angulana house. Tarzan was then placed on the fourth floor. He was shot dead three months later at Nugegoda junction.[21]

Aftermath[]

Vijay's face was brutally shot and it was deformed.[22] Make up artist Ebert Wijesinghe portrayed Vijaya's body in a very close-knit manner, but his wife Chandrika had the opinion that the face should not be shown to the people. So the upper part of the corpse had to be covered by the coffin in last tribute. No such incident has been reported in the history.[23] After the death, the body was brought from Narahenpita through the Town Hall in a large procession. A state funeral was held at the Independence Square with full live coverage on the television on 21 February 1988. It was the first ever funeral to be telecast live on state television.[9] His wife Chandrika Kumaratunga fled the country with her two children seeking self-imposed asylum in Britain.[14] The day of his assassination is widely known as "The Horrible Tuesday" or "The Darkest Tuesday in Sri Lankan History".[8] His death is still mourned by many people in Sri Lanka.[24]

The mastermind behind the assassination is still a mystery. Just after the funeral, his wife Chadrika alleged that it was the work of the CIA. But many people accused Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya for the assassination.[9] According to the testimony of the retired Inspector U.A. Piyasena, the then CID director SSP Bennet Perera who was transferred out of the CID in February 1989, had advised Piyasena to lay off the assassination investigations for his own good. He also hinted that there were signals from ministers not to proceed.[7]

But later in 1995, she alleged J. R. Jayewardene regime behind the assassination of her husband and suspected then Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa,[25] and Defense Minister Ranjan Wijeratne. After becoming the president, Chadrika appointed the Presidential Commission of inquiry into the assassination of Vijaya on 16 February 1996. The Commissioners were Supreme Court Judges Padmanathan Ramanathan, Sarath Nanda Silva and High Court Judge Dharmasiri Jayawickrema.[14] Upali de Silva was the Secretary of the Commission on Public Administration and its Assistant Secretary was Edward Geeganage.[20]

The Commission commenced its hearing on April 14, 1995, and examined the evidence for eight months until December 15, 1995. A total of 72 witnesses testified before the Commission, which consisted of 15 volumes and 3,441 pages. The full report of the inquiry conducted by the Presidential Commission was submitted on 29 February 1996.[20] After several investigations, the Presidential Commission report had concluded that President Premadasa, Gamini Lokuge and Deputy Minister of Defence Ranjan Wijeratne should be behind the assassination, but still in debate.[26][27]

Subsequently, a case was filed against Assistant Superintendent of Police Chandra Wakishta and the then Director of the CID, Chandrasena Jayawardena. They were released on October 23, 2002, by Colombo Fort Magistrate Priyantha Fernando.[20]

Assassins[]

Lionel Ranasinghe[]

Palammullalage Lionel Ranasinghe was born in 1962 in Kuruwita, Ratnapura as the eldest of the family. He was also known as Gamini alias Mahinda alias Jayatilleke, a resident of the Moonagama National Housing Scheme on Ratnapura Road, Horana. Lionel's father Thegiris was born on April 19, 1930, in Palamure, Kegalle and ran a lime shop in front of the Kuruwita police station.[28] Born in Delgamuwa, Lionel's mother Welikalage Sisilin Nona had five children. Lionel and his younger brother Sunil are the children of their mother's first marriage. Lionel is the eldest in the family. When Lionel was 2 years old, his father abandoned his mother and two children and remarried. From his second marriage, Lionel's father has two daughters and a son. Lionel's mother later married Leonoris Fernando of Horana and moved to Moonagama, Horana. Leonoris served in the Horana Municipal Council and was a staunch UNP supporter.[12]

Lionel went to Kuruwita Maha Vidyalaya and passed the GCE Ordinary Level with four credit passes in seven subjects. He learned karate from Nanda Siriwardena and learned kung fu from Seewali teacher.[28] Lionel entered the Horana College of Education and studied Commerce in A/Ls. Lionel and his brother Sunil went to sell peas near a liquor store in Horana, giving a boost to their livelihood and occasionally went to work for hire.[12]

At the age of 16 while studying for A/L, he attended JVP political classes in 1978 under the guidance of Jayasiri, a senior student of the school. Lionel joined the JVP full time in 1981. On April 2, 1981, Lionel served as a Red Troop to receive Rohana Wijeweera at the Kalutara Town Hall. Afraid of Lionel's politics, his mother sent Lionel to a herd in Kekirawa.[28] He worked as a farmer for only about a year and later worked as a security guard for a private security company. Lionel returned to Horana in 1984 and sold vegetables at the market on Thursdays and Fridays and peanuts on other days. He joined full time politics in 1986 through Batagoda Gamage Jayawardena.[12]

Lionel and 5 others were arrested by the Horana Police on April 12, 1987, in a robbery to raise funds for the JVP. As they were being taken from prison for an identification parade, they attacked the jailors near the Bolgoda bridge and escaped with the support of the JVP from outside.[28] Then he underwent a week of training at Bambarakanda, Badulla on December 13, 1986, a week of weapons training on April 12, 1987, at the Shandripada site and again on March 17, 1988, at the Kuruwita Shandripada site in Ratnapura. According to the strategic path of the rise of socialism through a national liberation struggle, Lionel killed more than 41 persons.[12]

Tarzan Weerasinghe[]

Tarzan was born on January 13, 1958. He is a resident of Payagala, Kalutara. Tarzan's family consisted of nine siblings, four of whom were male. One of Tarzan's sisters, Weerasinghe Leelawathi Silva, was a teacher at a girls' school in Panadura. He worked for the Kalutara Associated Motorways for some time and later worked as a SLTB driver on the SLTB bus from Kalutara to Yatadola. He quit his job and joined the JVP full time. Tarzan was married to Padmini.[12][28]

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Chandrika and JVP stops Vijaya assassination probe". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  2. ^ "Vijaya, is death such wonderful?". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  3. ^ "Vijaya Kumaratunga: Charismatic Actor-Politician May Have Changed Nation's Destiny". dbsjeyaraj.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  4. ^ "Vijaya will not die even if he is not here today". Dinamina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  5. ^ "The humanitarian called Vijaya Kumaratunga". Divaina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  6. ^ "Vijay goes to jail". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "What Was Behind The Vijaya Kumaratunga Murder?". Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brutal February". Daily News. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Assassinations That Shocked Sri Lanka". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  10. ^ "The lamp bought by Vijaya near the Dadugama bridge". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  11. ^ "Vijay's killers are revealed". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "The day a humanitarian, not a politician, was shot". Divaina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "The killer of Vijaya speaks". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Vijaya assassination: Politics kills police professionalism". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Vijaya's assassination 26 years ago". Divaina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  16. ^ "Vijay's killer speaks". Janayugaya. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  17. ^ "Confession by Vijaya's assasin". webgossip. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  18. ^ Confessions of Vijaya's killer by Sunday Leader -Frederica Jansz (Virtual Library SL Web)
  19. ^ "The Police Investigation Into The Vijaya Kumaratunge Murder". Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Special Presidential Commission for Vijaya assassination investigation". Divaina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  21. ^ "Janaka Mallimarachchi's revelations on political killings Vijaya's killer killed". UK Tamil News. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  22. ^ "Suspicions of Vijaya's murder". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  23. ^ "Vijaya who lit the lamps of reconciliation". Dinamina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  24. ^ "Devolution only solution – CBK (Vijaya's 20th Death Anniversary)". BBC News. 19 February 2008.
  25. ^ "Tribute To Vijaya Kumaratunga On The Day He Was Assassinated". Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  26. ^ "Exposure Of Vijaya Kumaratunga Killer". mirrorarts. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  27. ^ Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination was a UNP conspiracy: Gamini Lokuge's gun alleged death weapon (Sunday Observer, 21 March 2004) Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "The story of Lionel who killed Vijay". Silumina. Retrieved 2021-05-26.

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