Negombo: A young female employee of a private factory at Divulapitiya was remanded by the Negombo Acting Magistrate Alfred Silva last week, on a Police complaint she sprayed toxic gas in the factory premises causing harm to more than thirty young girls working in the factory. All of them became unconscious due to the spraying and were admitted to the Negombo Base Hospital for treatment.

The suspect twenty-year old Subashi Chamila who was produced in Court along with the sprayer, was remanded by the Acting Magistrate. Police said that the sprayer had come as a gift from her Canadian boy friend.

Investigations, they said conducted in connection with the incident, had revealed the boy friend had gifted sprayer solely for her self-defence against possible threats posed by young men attracted towards her.

Their investigations however failed to reveal the cause of her provocation to let off the deadly gas on females to whom no harm whatever was intended by the donor of the sprayer, Police said.

Trincomalee: The five suspects produced in connection with the killings of former MP for Trincomalee district A. Thangathurai and five others on 5th July 1997, were further remanded till July 20, by the Trincomalee Acting Magistrate M. K. Sellarajah last week.

The suspects are: M. Murugananthan, S. Nijanthan, M. Kones-waran, S. Ahilarupan and K. Yogarani. One suspect was released earlier. An open warrant was issued earlier in respect of two suspects who are absconding.

Galle: Shamira Nuwan Maduranga, a nine-year-old student of Neluwa Central College of Galle District, died last week after knocking against another student while running towards a water tap in the school premises.

The post-mortem examination conducted on the body by Dr. A. Wijeweera, AJMO Galle revealed death was due to an internal injury caused by the impact and to lack of proper medical treatment.

If transpired at the inquest, after the deceased collided with the other boy, he fell unconscious. Later two teachers of the school had taken the student to the Neluwa Government Hospital where he was given OPD treatment. Thereafter the teachers had taken the boy to his house and entrusted him to the parents. On his condition becoming bad around 3 a.m. the following day parents had admitted him to hospital. Shortly after admission the boy had died.