Two teenage girls are from plantation worker families

Bodies of two Tamil girls from estate sector, Lakshmanan Sumadhi, 13, and Madhuraweeran Jayarani, 16, were found in a canal near Torrington Place, Colombo on 15 August.

Police have informed the court that the two Tamil girls of Indian origin, who have been working as domestic workers in Colombo, have committed suicide.

However, parents of two girls have filed a petition seeking to exhume their bodies and a fresh post-mortem.

Illegal employment

The counsel appearing for the parents, E Thambiah, told BBC Sandeshaya that the parents were not satisfied with the police investigations.

I can’t believe that one can commit suicide by jumping into a small canal. Parents say that the handwriting in the letter allegedly written by the girls is not of the girls Deputy justice minister, V Putrasingamani

“No statement was recorded from the owners of the houses. How did the police conclude their investigations without their statements being recorded,” he questioned.

The deputy justice minister, V Puthasingamani, himself a Tamil of Indian origin, echoed the suspicions.

He told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya, earlier that the police have failed to conduct a thorough investigation.

“I can’t believe that one can commit suicide by jumping into a small canal. Parents say that the handwriting in the letter allegedly written by the girls is not of the girls,” he told journalist KS Udayakumar.

Urging the police chief for a thorough investigation, the minister has ordered the labour commissioner to file charges against the house owners who employed two young girls.

Colombo chief magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi has postponed the ruling on the petition until 25 August.

A selection of your views:

Two Tamil girls were died. It is sad. But it cannot be generalised to say tamils in Sri Lanka are killed and raped daily. Crimes happenning every country every day. Tamils are not the only people been killed in Sri Lanka. These people who blame were looking for a chance to make claims.
Ananda Chandrasekara, Melbourne, Australia

The world should understand that Tamil lifes are wortheless.Preseident met the parents of the youth murdered by the cops and donated money,because Singhalese lives are more important.Here not even an investigation.Un will soon pronunce that they are encouraged by the movement in humanan rights issue in Sri Lanka.
Viraj Kumar, Colombo

Tamils are being raped and Murdered every day in SL. Anyone who questions the authority are considered as an anti element and gets arrested by the security forces.
Raj, Toronto, Canada

When the Government and the Armed force are acting contrary to accepeted inernaional laws , how can we expect any thing better from the Police.
Kulanayagam Saverimuttu, Hampton Park, Australia