A railway track inspector discovered the body of a young woman lying near the railway tracks along the road leading to Gangathilaka Viharaya, close to the Gintota railway station, and notified the police. A Galle police officer who arrived at the scene answered her ringing mobile phone, which turned out to be a call from her husband.

The deceased was identified as Olokkuwa Patabendige Kavindi Yuthmini de Silva, a 24-year-old fourth-year student of the Karapitiya Medical Faculty, residing on Walasmulla Road, Beliatta.

Key Points

  • Karapitiya Medical Faculty student's body discovered along Gintota railway track
  • She had sent emotional text messages to her husband and father prior to her death
  • Inquest reveals she was under severe mental stress due to academic pressures
  • Galle Inquirer into Sudden Deaths delivers an open verdict on the incident

Text messages sent before the tragedy

The student's father, Viraj Jayaka de Silva, an employee at the Malimbada Divisional Secretariat, stated at the inquest that she had married 23-year-old Vishmitha Visharada Wijenayake of Talagaha Junction, Akmeemana, last August. He noted that there were no disputes between the couple, but she was experiencing extreme stress over her studies.

On the night of November 2, she sent a text message to her husband around 10:22 p.m., followed by another message to her father at around midnight. Her parents noticed the message early the next morning and went looking for her, only to find she was not at her hostel. Her body was later discovered around 7:30 a.m.

"Work is too much Amma, I feel stressed, I need to go to temple to relax"

Late Kavindi Yuthmini de Silva

Police probe and inquest

Although it is suspected that she was hit by a train travelling from Colombo to Galle, the drivers of both trains operating during that period reported not seeing anyone being struck. Consequently, the exact train involved in the incident has not yet been determined.

Considering the medical report by Galle National Hospital Judicial Medical Specialist Dr. H. D. Weeraratne and the need to obtain further statements from the locomotive drivers, Galle Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Gamini Kulasinghe delivered an open verdict regarding the death. Galle Police are conducting further investigations.