Police recover body of 22-year-old murdered in Gampola

The relatives of Fathima Munawwara, the 22-year-old girl who was found buried in the Gampola area after having been reported missing for six days, have identified the body of the deceased.

Accordingly, upon identification of the body, Police began recovering the body of the deceased.

A 24-year-old area resident was arrested last evening (12 May) after he confessed to Fathima’s murder, claiming that he had attempted to molest the girl and after she had rejected his advances, he had taken her to a  forested area, where he later killed her and buried the body.

Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the suspect in question was a goat herder, and, upon questioning, had revealed that he had come across the girl when she had walked by him while he was cutting grass in the area, gathering food for the goats.

Fathima Munawwara was last seen while on her way to work on Sunday, walking in search of a bus from her house towards the Weligalla town.

CCTV footage obtained from the Elpitiya Mosque by the Gampola Police, albeit initially showing the missing girl walking towards the Weligalla town, later shows no trace of the girl.