• Even though Bathiudeen was not at home at the time the incident had taken place he was answerable as the chief occupant of the house

By T.Farook Thajudeen  

A Colombo Magistrate yesterday refused bail to MP Rishad Bathiudeen in connection with the death of a 16-year-old domestic aide who had been employed at his residence at Borella. 

The bail application was taken up for inquiry before Colombo Additional  Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on a bail application filed in court by  MP Bathiudeen’s instructing Attorney –at- law.  

At the onset of the inquiry Deputy Solicitor General Deleepa Pieris  objecting bail to Bathiudeen told to the Magistrate that even though  Bathiudeen was not at home at the time the incident had taken place  he was answerable as the chief occupant of the house. He endorsed that  the conduct of the suspect while in prison cannot be endorsed as correct because he had been seen using a mobile phone and had also threatened prison officers.

DSG Pieris also underscored that in previous case dates a person being  identifying himself as a journalist in UTV had been seen moving in the court house in a suspicious manner had conveyed crucial facts to third  parties. Therefore he said that if the suspect was granted bail he may  intervene with inquiry and the witnesses.  Counsel for the aggrieved party also objected for granting bail to the suspect. 

 Counsel M.M Saheed appearing with Prasad Silva, Charith Wijesinghe and  Evon Nirasha for the suspect contended that there is no fault  for someone to be in court house to witness a case as journalist or in  any other capacity. He emphasized that senior Police Aruni Bogahawatte  who is conducting investigations is being stigmatized by an apex court  for deliberately creating evidence against the suspect in another case.
He said this is the sort of officers who are conducting investigations  into this matter and said that his client will not interfere with the  witnesses or with the investigations and to grant bail to the suspect  on whatever conditions the court may deem suitable.  

The Magistrate refused bail and ordered the Prison Superintendent to  produce the suspect in court on October 14.  

Police had arrested Shehabdeen Ayesha, wife of Rishad Bathiudeen, her  father Mohammed Shehabdeen and Ponnaiah Pandaram alias Shankar, the  broker who brought the girl to the MP’s residence in connection with  the death of the 16-year-old maid, who died of burn injuries received  while working at the MP’s residence.  
Jude Kumar Ishalini, the domestic aide aged 16 who was employed at the  residence of former Minister Bathiudeen, was admitted to the Colombo  

National Hospital on July 03 with burn injuries and died on July 15  while being treated in the intensive care unit.  
 
***** In previous case dates a person identifying himself as a journalist from UTV had been seen moving in the court house in a suspicious manner had conveyed crucial facts to third parties