Maru Sira

Dedduwa Jayathungalage "D.J." Siripala (Sinhala: දෙද්දුවා ජයතුංගලාගේ සිරිපාල; 1948 – 7 August 1975), better known as Maru Sira, was a Sri Lankan criminal who was executed amongst much controversy. Sira achieved fame through several daring escapes.[2]

Maru Sira
දෙද්දුවා ජයතුංගලාගේ සිරිපාල
Sira in police custody
Born
Dedduwa Jayathungalage Siripala

1948
Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka
Died7 August 1975(1975-08-07) (aged 26–27)
Bogambara Prison, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Resting placeMahaiyawa, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Other namesD.J. Siripala[1]
Criminal penaltyDeath by hanging

Life and career

Death

He had a daughter with Ranmenika, and the reason for him to escape the jail was solely to see his daughter who was only 3 days old. After escaping for a third time, Sira was sentenced to death in absentia for the killing of a man in March 1974. He was subsequently captured and sent to the Bogambara Prison in Colombo, to await his execution on August 5, 1975.[3]

On the night before the execution prison guards gave Sira a high dose of Largactil to prevent an escape attempt. The overdose caused Sira to collapse into a state of unconsciousness from which he never recovered. He was carried to the scaffold on a stretcher and laid across the trapdoor. The noose was then placed around his neck and the trapdoor was opened. Due to the short fall (2 ft. 2 in.) caused by his slumped position Sira died from slow strangulation. If he had been standing he would have died instantly from a cervical fracture.[3]

Aftermath

News of Sira's slow death led to public outrage. A presidential commission was appointed to look into the controversial execution. Two popular films Siripala and Ranmenika and Maruwa Samaga Wase were made based on Sira's story.[4] Baila singer Anton Jones wrote and sang a song detailing his exploits.

References
  1. "The controversial hanging of D.J. Siripala alias Maru Sira | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  2. "inner.gif". www.island.lk. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  3. "A case against the noose". Daily Mirror. 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  4. "I watched them being hanged". SundayTimes. 2001. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.