JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — A 31-year-old woman who taught cookery and hospitality in Jaffna was stabbed to death in her family's home on Monday evening, and the man suspected of killing her died later that night after being struck by a train, the police said. People who knew the woman said the man had persistently pursued her despite her repeated rejections.
The woman, Anne Laksha Ignatius, was attacked at a house on Temple Road Nallur after the man forced his way inside, according to the police. Her mother was stabbed while trying to intervene and was taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital in serious condition. She remained under treatment on Tuesday.
The man fled carrying a knife, the police said, and jumped in front of the night mail train from Jaffna to Colombo near Ariyalai. He died at the scene.
The police have not publicly identified him or given a motive. Information obtained by Jaffna Monitor indicates that he was born in 2005, making him about 11 years younger than Ms. Ignatius.
Ms. Ignatius, who was born in 1994, was a culinary and hospitality instructor. In September 2025, the British College of Hospitality Management in Jaffna announced on its Facebook page that she had joined the college as its academic head and culinary instructor. Her own Facebook profile lists her as a visiting lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management.
Her father, Marianthamby Ignatius, is an in-service adviser (ISA) in the education sector and a former principal of Palaly Teachers' College.
Several people who knew Ms. Ignatius said the man had become infatuated with her and repeatedly pursued her. They said she had rejected him and had grown increasingly worried about his behaviour.
One friend said Ms. Ignatius became concerned enough to leave Jaffna for several weeks and stay in Trincomalee. The friend said the man's pursuit was also a factor in her decision to leave her teaching job.
In recent days, Ms. Ignatius approached the owner of a private educational institute in search of teaching work and asked whether she could be assigned classes attended only by female students, according to a person familiar with the conversation. A few days before her death, the person said she told the owner that a man 11 years younger than her was pursuing her and that she did not know how to handle it. She had been due to begin teaching at the institute on Tuesday.
Ms. Ignatius's husband, Ahilan Amirthalingam, died by suicide in November 2021. The couple's daughter, now 11, has lost both her parents.
Police have not said how the man knew Ms. Ignatius, how long he had been pursuing her or whether she had previously reported his behaviour to the authorities. Jaffna police are investigating the killing and the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
If you or someone you know is in distress, Shanthiham in Jaffna offers counselling in Tamil at 021 222 3338 or 077 406 2211. The 24-hour National Mental Health Helpline can be reached at 1926.
