25 November 2023 12:00 am Views - 159
By Dileep Jayasekara
A minor employee of Sevanagala Rural Hospital who stood indicted with attempted murder by poisoning the water tank in the Chief Medical Officer’s official residence was found guilty and sentenced to 20-year imprisonment under two counts to be served in ten years by Embilipitiya High Court Judge Buddhika Ragala. The accused was fined Rs. 20,000 in addition to the jail term.
The accused Nammuni Arachchige Nimal Ranjith, an attendant of the hospital, had on February 03, 2023 mixed insecticides into the water storage tank in the Chief Medical Officer’s quarters which amounted to attempted murder of the doctor, his wife, and two children.
Sewanagala Police that investigated the incident had arrested two suspects, including another doctor of the hospital. However, the latter was acquitted when the Attorney General withdrew the charges against him and the case proceeded against the attendant.
Government Analyst K.A.P. B. Perera and Senior Prof. in Forensic Medicine of the Colombo University Ravindra Fernando had tested the samples of water and submitted reports.
Delivering the sentence the High Court Judge held that the charges against the accused had been established beyond reasonable doubt securing a conviction against him.
State Counsel Kalana Kotalawala prosecuted while Attorney-at-Law Niroshan Senerath appeared for the accused. PC 41742 Etugala of Sevanagala Police gave evidence for the prosecution.