Saudi: Murdered woman’s body sent to Lanka

(file photo)RIYADH - The body of the Sri Lankan maid who was allegedly murdered by her Saudi sponsor was repatriated last week, the Sri Lankan Embassy told Arab News on Saturday. Pavani Devi Sinnaiyah, 36, who was working in Al-Ghorayath, Jouf province, about 1,200 km from the capital, died under mysterious circumstances on Jan. 19. “We have the autopsy report from the authorities confirming that the death was due to homicide,” said a senior diplomat from the Sri Lankan mission in Riyadh who did not want his name published. He added that police detained the sponsor as a suspect in the killing. Sinnaiyah, who was unmarried, came to the Kingdom in 2008 from Maskeliya. The diplomat said the embassy is pursuing the case by attempting to acquire power of attorney from the victim’s next of kin. If found guilty, the suspect would be at the mercy of the next-of-kin in Sri Lanka, who would either forgive him and demand blood money or insist he be put to death. The official said the maid was killed five months after she completed her two-year contract. Speculating as to the motive, the official suggested the maid and the sponsor were at odds over continuing to work for him beyond the contract period. There have been reported cases of maids compelled against their will to continue working. Last month, Weerawardena Hettiarachchilage Indrani Mallika Hettiarachchi, 45, was rescued from 13 years of unpaid labor and false imprisonment by orders of Jazan Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Nasser. The sponsor, who is in custody but has not been identified, says he cannot afford to pay the estimated SR60,000 in unpaid wages to the Lankan woman. Full Story>>
Saudi: Murdered woman’s body sent to Lanka http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article469256.ece