The Colombo High Court today sentenced to death the man convicted of murdering a woman and leaving her body in a travel bag at the Bastian Mawatha private bus terminal in Pettah in 2015.

The crime, which shocked the nation at the time, occurred on 29 July 2015. The body of the victim, a 34-year-old woman from Vaddukoddai, Jaffna, was found inside a travel bag abandoned at the bus terminal.

Police investigations led to the arrest of a 44-year-old suspect from Nallur, Jaffna, in Kovikulam, Mannar, just a day after the discovery. CCTV footage showing the suspect carrying the bag and leaving it at the terminal was key to identifying and tracking him down.

Further inquiries revealed that the woman had been murdered at a lodge in Sea Street, Pettah, where she had reportedly been staying with the suspect. The manager of an inn in Hettiyawatta later came forward with information, helping police confirm the victim’s identity. The woman’s mother had also identified the suspect.