<b>Coroner in a quandary - A True Life stoty.</b>

By our Colombo Correspondent-Sarath Perera, 25, committed suicide by taking poison.

His father told the coroner at the inquest at southern Galle Hospital that he did not suspect foul play, as his son was depressed for some time as his wives had deserted him and offered to take over the body.

Then Seela, 19, came with an year old baby boy, wailing, and claimed the body.

“I am his wife,’ she said and submitted documents that showed Sarath had been paying Rs. 1500 a month as maintenance for the child. She said she was from Morawaka and was married to Sarath and had lived together at Galle.

“I left when his other wife came and scolded me of stealing her husband. I did not know he was already married. He had deceived me. I went to courts and obtained maintenance which he had paid regularly.”

Just then the first wife, Manjula, entered with one and a half year boy.
“I’m his wife. We met and married, when he was working at a printing press at Maradana, in Colombo. When I went to my village at Deniyaya for confinement, he went to Galle to take up another job. This woman had snatched him from me.”

Manjula too had obtained maintenance of Rs. 1500 a month for her child from the family court of her area.

Sarath’s earning was only Rs. 4000. He paid the maintenance promptly borrowing from his parents and friends.

“I’ve fallen into a pit,” he had told his friend Silva. “I’ve no way of getting out of it.”
The coroner said he was also in deep pit. He got out of it by handing the body to the father.