Suicide bomber Mohammad Hasthoon’s wife, Pulasthini Mahendran (some reports mention it as Pulasthini Rajendran) aka Sara who is believed to be an active participant in the recent bombings, was born in a devout Hindu lower middle class family and was converted to Islam and radicalised, a report by popular Tamil channel IBC Tamizh has revealed.

As per the report, Pulasthini was born in a middle-class Hindu family in Thettativu, situated in Batticaloa district in Eastern Province in Sri Lanka and was allegedly abducted, converted to Islam and radicalised by Islamists groups.

IBC Tamizh’s interview with her mother, Kavitha Mahendran reveals that Pulasthini was a good student who was pursuing medical studies. She used to pursue traditional Tamil and Hindu religious studies in school. However, one Abdul Razik abducted Pulasthini when she was a student.

Kavitha claims that she tried to bring her daughter back, but Razik insisted that Pulasthini was ‘happy’ and that she had made an ‘informed adult decision’. A few months later, Razik called Kavitha to inform her that her daughter had ‘embraced’ Islam and was married off to a man. Her husband is believed to the Mohammad Hasthoon, who was caught on camera at the St Sebastian Church bombing on Easter Sunday.

A devasted Kavitha cut off all ties with her daughter. A month after this, Kavitha claims she got a call from her distraught daughter who said she was unhappy in her life and she was on the verge of a complete breakdown. However, after this phone call, there was no contact from Pulasthini.

Around two weeks before the Easter Sunday attacks, Kavitha claims an unknown man, who identified himself as Sri Lankan intelligence officer had come looking for Pulasthini but didn’t divulge any information.

IBC report reveals that Abul Razik is actually a leader of the radical Islamic organisation, Sri Lankan Thowheed Jamaath (SLTJ) which has close ideological ties with the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath.

ISIS had claimed responsibility for the serial blasts that shook Sri Lanka last month claiming lives of over 200 people. The sons of one of the richest and politically well-connected man were found to be two of the suicide bombers. The family is under interrogation after the wife of one of the bombers triggered another suicide blast to kill policemen in their Colombo dwelling.

-Agencies