A tragic story unfolds in Kotmale as a simple journey home ends in mob violence, a viral video, and a young man’s death. What began as a case of mistaken identity has exposed the devastating consequences of mob justice and social media humiliation.
A shocking tragedy struck when a 34-year-old man travelling from Colombo to Welimada missed his bus stop, was mistaken for a thief by villagers, brutally assaulted, and later took his own life after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
The victim, Ramachandran Puwaneswaran alias Murali, a resident of Rothschild Estate in Pussellawa, had lost his parents and lived away from his only sister. On the night of his death, he had fallen asleep on a bus and accidentally alighted in Ramboda around 2.00 am.
Confused and stranded, he attempted to seek directions from a relative in the area. When he tapped on the door of a house for help, the occupants mistook him for a robber and raised an alarm. Neighbours rushed in, tied him to a tree, and severely beat him before handing him over to the Kotmale Police.
Police investigations later confirmed that Murali was completely innocent. He was released on police bail after a medical examination and reunited with his relatives at Rothschild Estate. However, the humiliation did not end there. Villagers recorded and circulated a video of his assault on social media, subjecting him to widespread ridicule and shame.
Unable to bear the trauma and public humiliation, Murali took his own life by hanging shortly after the video’s release.
Kotmale Police OIC Vajira Ratnayake is conducting further investigations into the case, which has sparked outrage and calls for accountability against mob violence and irresponsible use of social media.
