[2][3] Manamperi was the oldest daughter of Hendrick Appuhamy, a watcher in the Department of Wildlife in Devatagama, Kataragama.
On 16 April, Inspector Udawatte and three police constables arrested Manamperi at her home under suspicion of rebel association.
Using this as a pretext, the Kataragama Police officer-in-charge (OIC), Sub-Inspector (SI) Jayasiri Udawatte took revenge on Manamperi by arresting her as she had rejected his lustful advances on earlier occasions.
[9] On 16 April, Manamperi and few other females were arrested on the grounds that they were JVP rebels by SI Wijesuriya and few other officers.
Reports state that she was tortured throughout the night[11] as she had denied having connections with the JVP which made Lt. Wijesuriya, a volunteer officer, furious.
Furthermore, investigations have revealed that these army officers failed to arrest any actual JVP rebels, except Manamperi and the other girls who were proven not guilty.
[5] The murder suspects, Lieutenant Alfred Wijesuriya and Amaradasa Ratnayake, a member of the volunteer force, were brought to trial.
in 1988, Ratnayake was killed at his home in Devinuwara by the suspected JVP hit team at Matara as a punishment for the murder of Premawathi.
This shrine was built as a merit to her as pilgrims who visit Kataragama could quench their thirst by drinking water from the clay pot fixed to it.
[12] Sri Lankan singer and songwriter, Anton Jones (3 June 1937 – 21 February 2016) whose songs were based on real incidents such as 'Rukmani Devi'[13] (popular Sri Lankan film actress and singer), 'Maru-Sira'[14](controversial passing away of a death-row prisoner) wrote a song based on Manamperi's death as well.
[16] Although not mentioned by name, allusions to Manamperi have been made in the 2022 Booker Winner, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka as Miss Kataragama 1970 and as the Defiled Beauty Queen.
UNP candidate J. R. Jayewardene discussed the attack in great detail and condemned Sirimavo Bandaranaike's handling of the crime to discredit his opponent.