Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Five policemen to hang after 27 year trial

Kandy Provincial High Court Judge Sarojanee Kusala Weerawardena presiding at the Panadura Provincial High Court on June 30 passed the death sentence on five policemen who were found guilty of committing the murder of a suspect who was in police custody on July 1, 1990.
The accused were also found guilty of assaulting the suspect while in police custody The Judge sentenced each of the accused to six-month imprisonment and fined Rs. 5000 each for the second charge.
The accused are Mellawathanthirige Padmakumara, the former OIC of the Dombegoda Police post of the Panadura Police Division, and Police Sergeant Namal Priyantha P. Udayakumara, Sarath Kodituwakku, and N. M. Premaratne, who served at the Dombegoda Police post in 1990.
They were indicted by the Attorney General with being members of an unlawful assembly and committing the murder of Mohammed Mansoor Mohammed Munas of Atalugama, Bandaragama by assaulting and shooting him while he was in police custody on June 1, 1990. The trial of the 27-year-old murder case was concluded by high Court Judge Sarojanee Kusala Weerawardena on June 30, 2017 at the Panadura Provincial High Court
All five accused were found guilty of killing Mohammed Mansoor Mohammed Munas, while he was in police custody by shooting him on June 1, 1990.
They were found guilty of assulting the suspect who was in the police custody on the same day.
The judge reading out the judgement in open Court at 3 p m on June 30 stated that the accused attached to the Dombegoda Police Post arrested the suspect Mohammed Munas on June 1, 1990, while he was coming out from a mosque in Atalugama.
He was taken to the Police post and questioned. Police said that he agreed to show the place where he had hidden the stolen items and policemen took the suspect to recover the stolen articles.
While walking along a gravel road along School Road around 12 midnight on that day, the suspect had attempted to escape. The suspect was not in handcuffs. The first accused Sub Inspector Padmakumara caught him and struggled with him. The suspect and the first accused fell on the ground and accidentally the revolver gave way. The suspect was injured and rushed to the Panadura Hospital. On the way, he died. But there was no evidence to prove the defence story.