Shyama Darshani death case deepens as her brother reveals fake identity, Rs. 15 million fraud, CCTV clues, and the WagoneR link.
Shyama Darshani death has shaken the country after disturbing revelations by her brother linked the Teldeniya case to alleged deception, fake love, financial fraud, and a WagoneR vehicle.
The mysterious death reported recently from the Teldeniya area has left the entire nation shocked and deeply disturbed. What first appeared to be an ordinary death, or even a possible suicide, has now taken a darker turn after the court delivered an open verdict, revealing a troubling story filled with suspicion, fraud, and unanswered questions.
The victim was 33-year-old Shyama Darshani, a physiotherapist attached to the Ampara General Hospital. The disclosures made by her elder brother, Samanta Kumara, from their family home in Weligama, now stand as a serious warning and an important lesson for society.
Shyama Darshani was the youngest child in the family and grew up surrounded by affection. Her elder brother recalled with deep emotion that because she was sixteen years younger than him, he cared for her with even more attention than their father, who was often away from home due to work. From childhood, she showed outstanding academic ability and completed her education up to Advanced Level with distinction at Weligama Sumangala Girls’ College.
Her elder siblings made great sacrifices to lift their beloved youngest sister to heights they themselves had been unable to reach. After missing entry to medical college by only a few marks, she entered the University of Colombo and successfully completed a degree in physiotherapy. She did not stop there. She also completed a mental health therapy course with top marks, and as her first government appointment, joined the Ampara Hospital, where she earned the affection of patients and hospital staff as an energetic young professional.
Until the age of thirty-three, Shyama had shown no interest in marriage. Although her mother and brothers had introduced more than one hundred proposals through newspaper matrimonial services, she rejected them all. She often said she would never marry and wanted to follow a spiritual path.
However, one day last year, she suddenly called her elder brother and, for the first time, told him she had found a suitable person to marry. According to her, the man was a software engineer at SriLankan Airlines at Katunayake Airport, leading a team of fifteen people. She said he came from an elite family in Gannoruwa, Kandy, and was named “Dineth Dissanayake.”
She further claimed he was the son of the Dissanayake Mudaliyar connected to the Temple of the Tooth, and that he was willing to separate from his family and live a simple life with her.
The relationship had developed over the phone, and behind the introduction was a woman named Thilini, who worked at the Ampara Kachcheri. Thilini had initially come to Shyama Darshani for treatment and later introduced this man to her.
The man calling himself Dineth won Shyama’s sympathy by claiming he had fallen into serious difficulty after trying to marry another woman through a newspaper proposal. Later, Thilini gradually stepped away from the middle, while Dineth became increasingly close to Shyama and expressed love for her.
It was later revealed that Dineth Dissanayake was a false name. His real identity, according to the revelations, was Champika Srinath Jayatunga from Narammala, Kurunegala. He was also described as a bald man who allegedly wore a fake wig as part of the deception.
To win the confidence of Shyama’s family, the alleged fraudster used several tactics. He arrived with Shyama in a white WagoneR vehicle at her sister’s home in Lunugamvehera and also at the family home in Matara.
Dineth claimed to own an expensive drone camera and became close to the children in Shyama’s family as “Drone Uncle,” flying the drone around the premises and recording videos. On another occasion, Shyama asked her brother for Rs. 300,000 to show an account balance for a bank loan, and he gave her the money.
Exactly four days later, Dineth arranged for the same amount to be credited back into the account, apparently to build the family’s trust. When the entire family went on a pilgrimage to Kataragama, he was also clever enough to take them into the temple through a special VIP gate, claiming he knew the Kapu Mahattaya well.
But the horrifying truth behind this pleasant image slowly began to surface after Shyama Darshani fell seriously ill with a viral fever and returned home. Her brothers noticed that the once active young woman had become deeply disturbed, worried, and distressed.
When they questioned her, she revealed that she had borrowed a massive Rs. 15 million from various individuals and banks to prepare documents for migration to Canada, and had handed all the money to Dineth. She said the money had not been credited to Dineth’s account, but to the account of a manager named Sanka, who allegedly managed his estates and hotels.
To repay this debt, Dineth had deposited two fake cheques of Rs. 750,000 each into her account and misled her by claiming they would take a few days to clear.
Under pressure from creditors and from her workplace, Shyama decided to resign from her position at Ampara Hospital. She had also booked a room on a monthly basis at a housing complex called “Grand Falls Residences” (Ashley Pathman) in Nuwara Eliya.
Although her brother asked her to come with him to Anuradhapura, she went to the lodging in Nuwara Eliya under Dineth’s influence. On June 16, she called her brother and said she was suffering from severe headaches and illness. She also said a person to whom she had lent Rs. 700,000 was asking for the money back.
She further mentioned that Dineth had told her he would send Rs. 200,000. However, that evening she again called her brother and sister-in-law in great fear. She said Dineth was following her, showed no intention of giving money, and that she was even afraid to go outside.
She cried and pleaded with them not to go to the police, saying that if they did, she would not be able to recover the money. During that call, another phone rang. She said, “He’s calling, I’ll take it later,” and disconnected.
After that, her phone went dead. Suspecting that something serious had happened, her elder brother left for Nuwara Eliya that very night. He reached Nuwara Eliya around 4:30 a.m. on June 17 and went to the Nuwara Eliya Headquarters Police, where he lodged a complaint with the OIC.
When police officers and the brother went to the relevant housing complex, the manager called Dineth. When Dineth asked, “Is the brother and the police there?” he immediately switched off his phone and fled.
Police then entered the room through a window and inspected it. The room was completely empty. Only a toothbrush remained.
However, when the security camera footage was examined, the horrifying sequence became clear. At around 9:50 p.m. on June 16, Dineth arrived in a white WagoneR vehicle and loaded Shyama’s luggage into the car.
Later, at approximately 10:28 p.m., a camera near the lift captured Dineth carrying Shyama’s body with his arm around her waist, while her legs were about six inches above the ground. Her head had been covered with a black jacket.
As he placed her inside the vehicle, he told the security guard that his wife was unwell and that he was taking her for treatment. Around 10:00 a.m. on June 17, Dineth called Shyama’s elder sister and again tried to deceive the family, claiming he was at Katunayake Airport with Shyama and that they would be leaving the country within one and a half hours.
The brother immediately informed senior police officers, and urgent messages were sent across the island.
Between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. that same day, Teldeniya Police received an anonymous call. Acting on that information, police found the lifeless body of Shyama Darshani inside a WagoneR vehicle bearing registration number CBR 2061, which was parked in the car park of the Teldeniya Government Hospital.
The anonymous call had also been made by the criminal himself. Shyama’s body, dressed in red jeans and a black T-shirt, was found seated inside the vehicle with the front seat reclined and the seatbelt fastened. Blood had oozed from her nose and mouth.
There were injury marks on her neck suggesting strangulation. During the Magistrate’s and judicial medical examination conducted on June 18, signs of a severe struggle were observed on her body. Her hair clip was found at the end of her hair, and her hair was disheveled.
The most striking discovery was a cannula inserted above her ankle, tightly tied with a handkerchief, raising suspicion that some substance may have been introduced into her body. There were also signs that one arm and one leg had been broken or badly bruised.
As a result, an open verdict was returned on whether she had been forcibly injected with some poison, or whether she had been subjected to severe torture and murder.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the WagoneR vehicle was registered in the name of Thilini, the woman who worked at the Ampara Kachcheri. It was also revealed that she and Dineth had jointly contributed money to purchase the vehicle, which was later used by Dineth.
Finally, Shyama Darshani’s body was brought to her ancestral home in Weligama. Steps were taken to bury her nearby in a secure manner, so that the body could be exhumed for future legal proceedings if required.
Despite being a highly educated and intelligent state employee, Shyama fell victim to fake love because of a lack of social awareness, lost Rs. 15 million, and ultimately paid with her life. This tragedy is a grave warning to women who may be deceived by fraudulent individuals and unfamiliar proposals in today’s society.
The entire nation now waits for the Sri Lanka Police to bring this cunning criminal to justice.
