Father arrested over death of two children in mattress fire

The individual claiming to be the father of two children who lost their lives in a fire at a lodge in Batticaloa town was arrested by the police. A senior police officer in Batticaloa confirmed the arrest to Hiru News.

Investigations revealed that the arrested suspect engaged in a begging racket using the children and a fake identity card, claiming that the mother of the deceased children suffered from cancer.

Previously, these two children arrived in Batticaloa town from Badulla with their father to visit the mother, who was reportedly receiving treatment for cancer at the Batticaloa hospital. A three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl lost their lives due to suffocation from inhaling smoke while staying at the lodge during the outbreak of the fire.

An examination of the father's identity card under these circumstances revealed that it belonged to another person. The owner of the identity card resides in Badulla, and his identity card went missing in 2023. It is further revealed that he legally obtained a new identity card and currently resides in the Kadawatha area.

The arrested suspect, a resident of Akuressa, claimed the identity card belonged to him and used it for the begging racket. Preliminary investigations disclosed that the claim regarding his wife receiving cancer treatment is also false, and his wife remains at their home in Matara.

Reports indicate that the suspect engaged in begging at several locations, claiming his wife suffered from cancer. Complaints exist against the arrested suspect at several police stations, including Athurugiriya, Sapugaskanda, Anuradhapura, and Colombo, and a warrant is also out for his arrest.