Siththi Nafeeza woke up to the worst news in her life on June 23 that her youngest son after a battle to live had succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo National Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Her cry spread all over Sawarana village in Marawila, Chilaw.
“My son was killed out of spite. We never thought someone would commit such a crime just because he was appointed the head prefect of the school. We want justice for our son,” Nafeeza’s cry continues.
Mohomad Rizwie Mohomad Faizul was studying for his Ordinary Level exams at Sawarana Muslim College. He was an outstanding student in academics and extracurricular activities.
Mohomad Faizul Rizwie was returning home from mosque after prayers when the bicycle carrying him and a friend was stopped by several boys who then started beating him. The three boys were later identified as students of the same school.
According to the mother this was not an isolated incident. “Wherever they see my son they will assault and harass him. We have complained about this previously to the school,” the mother said.
“My grandson’s friend explained what had happened. The three boys were hitting my grandson using albisia poles,” victim’s grandmother, Juariath Umma, lamented.
Accordingly most of the shots were aimed at his head. The three boys who had come to attack Mohomad Rizwie, soon after obstructing him and keeping him, have switched off all street lights before attacking him. The friend who had accompanied Mohomad Rizwie was not harassed. The incident occurred on the 25 day of fasting during the Ramazan period. The other student who accompanied Mohomad Rizwie was then threatened not to talk about the incident.
A teacher from the Chilaw Nazria Muslim College, A. M Anush condemned this incident and urged that justice should be meted out to the family of the victim. “Such activities should never happen and all involved should be brought to justice” he said.
Postmortem revealed that the strong blows on to the victim’s head had resulted in internal bleeding leading to death. The three suspects arrested were produced before the Chilaw Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake who ordered them to be remanded and kept in custody.
The boys were initially kept at a children’s home in Chilaw and then transferred to a children’s home in Negombo. Initially only the main suspect was released and others were released on bail. Lawyers representing the victim brought to the attention of the court that this assault was premeditated.
The suspects were also seen handcuffed in courts; allegations raised by the suspects’ lawyer that the children’s rights have been violated by cuffing them were rejected by the police.
Further investigations into the incident are being carried out by the Chilaw police under the advice and guidance of the Inspector of Chilaw Police.