11 November 2023 12:00 am Views - 218
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
Three accused arrested and indicted in connection with the assassination attempt of former Pakistani High Commissioner in 2006 were yesterday acquitted and released from the case by Colombo High Court.
While handing out a judgement against the three accused Kanagaraja Adithyan alias Ranjan, Yogaraja Niroshan Dickwella alias and a trishaw driver Subramaniam Chethiyaraja, High Court Judge M. Weeraman observed that the prosecutors have failed to prove the accused’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The accused had been arrested on charges of conspiring, aiding and abetting to commit this offence and providing a trishaw to carry out a claymore bomb blast targeting the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohamed at Kollupitiya on August 14, 2006.
The three accused had been charged under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorist Act (PTA).
On August 14, 2006, a convoy carrying the Pakistani High Commissioner, was attacked with a claymore mine. The High Commissioner escaped unhurt, however, seven people including four Army commandos were killed, and several persons were injured in the blast.