JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Police have filed a formal charge sheet in the killing of a senior University of Jaffna lecturer whose body was found in a secluded area four days after her death in March, clearing the way for preliminary proceedings against her daughter and son-in-law.
The two suspects, who have remained in remand custody since their arrests, were brought before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court under security on Monday. Police submitted the charge sheet prepared after their investigation into the death of Dr. Thayalini Thileepan, 54, a senior lecturer at the university’s Faculty of Siddha Medicine.
The magistrate said the charges would be read to the two suspects at the next hearing, after which non-summary proceedings, a preliminary inquiry conducted in serious criminal cases before they are sent to a higher court for trial, are expected to begin. The case was adjourned until Oct. 19.
Dr. Thileepan was killed on March 17 in a case that shocked Jaffna, both because of her standing as a longtime university academic and because her own daughter and son-in-law subsequently emerged as the principal suspects.
As Jaffna Monitor reported at the time, Dr. Thileepan was reported missing from her home in Pandiyantazhvu after family members were unable to locate her. Her son lodged a complaint with Jaffna police, initially reporting that his mother and younger sister had been taken from the house by the young man who was in a relationship with his sister.
When investigators examined the house, they found evidence that raised questions about the initial account of an abduction. Roof tiles had been removed, a rope believed to have been used to enter or leave the premises was found, and strands of cut hair were discovered.
Investigators subsequently used digital and financial records to trace the young couple’s movements. An ATM withdrawal in Paranthan and a fuel purchase at a filling station in Trincomalee provided key leads. CCTV footage from the filling station helped police locate the pair, who were arrested in Trincomalee.
Information obtained by Jaffna Monitor during the initial investigation indicated that the daughter and the young man had entered into a registered marriage without Dr. Thileepan’s approval and that she had opposed the relationship. Police treated the family dispute as part of their investigation into a possible motive.
Investigators later recovered Dr. Thileepan’s body from the Thanankilappu area on March 21 after receiving information during their investigation.
Subsequent court proceedings provided a clearer account of how she died. Police told the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court that the findings of the judicial medical officer showed that Dr. Thileepan had been strangled. Investigators have alleged that the killing occurred at her home before her body was transported and abandoned in the Thanankilappu area.
Dr. Thileepan had served at the University of Jaffna for more than two decades. She graduated with first-class honors in Siddha Medicine in 1999, obtaining distinctions in all subjects, and later completed a master’s degree in 2005 and a doctorate at the University of Peradeniya in 2016.
She began her academic career as an assistant lecturer in 2001 and rose to the rank of Senior Lecturer Grade I. Her academic work included four books, 16 peer-reviewed journal publications and 55 conference papers.
The filing of the charge sheet marks a significant procedural step in a case that has remained before the courts for more than six months. The allegations against the daughter and son-in-law have not been proven in court, and both remain accused persons as the case proceeds through the judicial process.
