Eleven sent to the gallows for murder

• The case had been pending for more than 20 years, and the case proceedings ran to 75 pages

By Palitha Ariyawansa   

Eleven accused who stood indicted with murder were found  guilty and sentenced to death by Uva Province High Court Judge Prasanna  Alwis.   

They had on May 29, 2004, clubbed to death a young man of  Galahagama, in Uva Paranagama, Wadduwa Fonsuge Bandula Jayawardene  Thissera (23).   

The Attorney General had indicted 13 accused including Senaka  Ranjith Premaratne,  Rohana Jagath, Gayan Chaminda, P. A. Nandakumara,  Asanka Seneviratne, Suneth Sanjeewa Rupasinghe, R. P. K. Pathirana, W.  Samantha, W.A.P. Bandara P. Hemantha Kamalasiri, Dinesh Manjula, Rukman  Indika and Manjula Ratnayake.   
The seventh accused R.P.K. Pathirana had died during the  trial in the high court and the case proceeded against the other accused. It  transpired that the 12th accused Rukman Indika had gone abroad, but he  was among those convicted.   

However, the first accused Senaka Ranjith Premaratne was acquitted.   

Police, in their evidence for the prosecution, told court  that the first accused had been in love with the deceased’s elder sister  and that he had taken her to Colombo. However, when her parents  understood that he was a married man, brought home their daughter.  Police stated that the first accused who rushed to her house with  several others at night had assaulted the  occupants of the house with a mammoty and clubs, causing the death of the young man.   

The case had been pending for more than 20 years, and the case proceedings ran to 75 pages.  State Counsel Chirasthi Seneviratne prosecuted.