Courtesy Adaderana

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) says it commenced an investigation into the preacher named Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratna, who promoted ‘mass suicide’ through his distorted teachings and later died by suicide.

When the CID officers presented submissions in this regard, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court also called for an investigation to determine if the deceased preacher had received funds from any organizations and how the money was spent.

Earlier this week, CID launched an investigation into the seven deaths that had recently occurred under similar suspicious circumstances, after the bodies of a young woman and a man were found by the police.

It was suspected that the duo had died after consuming a strange concoction.

The duo were said to have been the followers of a certain religious preacher who had committed suicide in the Homagama area days prior.

The body of the 21-year-old woman was recovered at her residence in the Yakkala area while the body of the 34-year-old man, who was residing in Ambalangoda, was found at a guest house in the Maharagama area where he was temporarily staying.

An individual identified as Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne, who had engaged in religion-related preaching activities in various parts of the island, was found dead from poisoning and was believed to have committed suicide in December.

A few days later on December 31, his wife, 35, was reported to have committed suicide by consuming a concoction after feeding poison to her two sons and daughter at their home in Kahantota in Malabe, according to police. The woman’s two sons and daughter were reportedly aged 09, 08 and 07 years respectively.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old woman and 34-year-old man in question were found to have attended the funeral of the religious preacher.

Investigators suspect that all seven deaths were the result of ingestion of the same type of poison.