JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 22, 2026 —
A senior University of Jaffna lecturer killed in an alleged family plot was buried Sunday, as new details from police investigations painted a disturbing picture of the crime.
Dr. (Mrs.) Thayalini Thileepan, 54, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Siddha Medicine, was laid to rest following funeral rites held at her residence in Jaffna.
Her 19-year-old daughter, one of the main suspects in the case, was permitted by court order to attend the funeral under police escort.
At the cemetery, several Tamil media online outlets reported that M.A. Sumanthiran, acting general secretary of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), urged that no photographs or video recordings be made.
Jaffna Monitor could not independently verify these claims, as its reporters were not present at the funeral.
Some media reports also described Sumanthiran as a family friend of the deceased lecturer. Others reported that he had appeared in court on behalf of the lecturer and requested permission for her daughter to attend the funeral.
Sumanthiran, however, strongly denied those claims in a post on his official Facebook page.
In the statement, published by an administrator, it said in Tamil: “Mr. Sumanthiran neither sought permission, nor did the court issue such an order. Misreporting court proceedings amounts to contempt of court.”
Sumanthiran had earlier also rejected a social media post by a journalist claiming that he had appeared on behalf of the murdered lecturer’s daughter.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, he strongly denied the claim, saying he had appeared in court on behalf of the victim, not the accused.
“Please refrain from spreading false information,” the post said. “Mr. Sumanthiran appeared in court on behalf of the affected University of Jaffna lecturer. Legal action will be taken immediately against those who disseminate false reports.”
Killing and Disposal
Police said the lecturer was killed in the early hours of March 18 at her home in Pandiyantazhvu.
According to police sources who spoke to Jaffna Monitor, the daughter’s partner allegedly entered the house at night by removing roof tiles and lowering himself inside with a rope. He had reportedly consumed drugs prior to entering the house.
Investigators allege that he later woke the daughter and proposed that they resume their relationship. Police sources said the daughter agreed but indicated that her mother would not allow them to reunite.
A police source told Jaffna Monitor that the suspect, identified as Thivagar, had stated during questioning that the daughter restrained her mother by holding her legs while he strangled her.
Jaffna Monitor could not independently verify that account.
Police sources also said the daughter has denied direct involvement, stating she acted out of fear.
Police sources said the body was wrapped in a bedsheet, placed in the victim’s vehicle, and transported to an isolated area in Thanankilappu, where it was dumped.
Another police source told Jaffna Monitor that the suspects had initially planned to bury the body, but abandoned the attempt after the shovel they were carrying broke.
The body was recovered on March 21 following information provided during interrogations.
Flight and Arrest
Police said the suspects removed a digital video recorder (DVR) from the house’s CCTV system and discarded it in a water body while fleeing.
They also took jewelry from the house and later pawned some items to obtain money, which they used to rent a house in Trincomalee, where they began living together as a couple, police sources said.
The suspects travelled across districts in the victim’s vehicle, using her bank card to withdraw cash in Paranthan and to purchase fuel via a QR-based payment system in Trincomalee.
The lecturer’s son, himself a lecturer at Rajarata University, reported her missing and provided key digital clues to police, including transaction alerts and QR-based fuel payment records, which helped trace the suspects.
Police arrested the daughter and her 21-year-old partner in Trincomalee on Friday and brought them back to Jaffna for further questioning.
Background and Motive
Police sources said preliminary investigations suggest the killing may have stemmed from tensions over the daughter’s relationship.
According to police, the daughter had entered into a registered marriage with the suspect after turning 18, without her mother’s consent. The relationship reportedly broke down within months, with the daughter returning home and filing for divorce, citing abuse.
Despite this, the couple remained in contact through social media, including Instagram, and had discussed reconciliation, police said.
Police sources added that the suspect had previously been arrested multiple times in connection with drug-related activities, and toxicology tests indicated drug use, according to investigators.
