Dedduwa Jayathungalage "D.J." Siripala (Sinhala: දෙද්දුවා ජයතුංගලාගේ සිරිපාල; 1949 – August 7, 1975), also known by the pseudonym Maru Sira (Maru: deadly, Sira: Short form of Siripala), was a Sri Lankan young criminal and bandit active from the late 1960s until the mid 1970s. He was on death row following a conviction for a serial murder. His controversial execution (hanging) led to many debates by creating the popular question "kill by hanging or hang after killing". Siripala achieved fame through several prison escapes while his romance with Ranmanika made his story memorable. Early life Siripala was born to a native Sinhala-Buddhist family in Sri Lanka. D.J. David Appuhamai and L. Punchi Nona had seven children, five sons, and two daughters. D.J Siripala was the sixth child born in 1948, (exact month and day of his birthday are unknown). They lived in Milla Gaha Watta, Liyangoda, Pannipitiya in Colombo District. Liyanagoda was a rural village in the late 1940s, he grew up in a strongly religious family culture. Being a youngster in an extended family Siripala received care from his brothers and sisters, especially his eldest brother took care of his young brothers and sisters as their father worked away from home. Siripala's father was an attendant in a home for the elderly in Anuradhapura district. Siripala started schooling at Vidyadana Vidyalaya (a small school in his village). Debut as a criminal Siripala started his life in Anurdapura Town as a teenage gangster as he lost his family's care. In the late 1950s, Siripala initially made his living as a manual laborer in the Anuradhapura town area.In the mid-1960s, he has become a member of a gang in Anuradhapura. The gang was known for juvenile crimes such as looting, pickpocketing and drinking illicit liquor. Family life Siripala met Ranmanika in the early 1970s. Ranmanika was a widow with seven children, her husband had died of a snake bite. Ranmanika decided to sell illicit liquor to make her living. Siripala's frequent visits to her liquor cache made an intimacy between them which later turned into a love. Ranmainka (born 1944) was four years older than Siripala. Though they never married, they had a strong relationship as husband and wife. Ranmenika gave birth to Siripala's daughter in 1975. He never knew that Ranmanika was pregnant with his daughter, by the time he had been convicted for a murder and was in the death