• On February 9, the Court ordered the release of the Sacristan (caretaker) of All Saints’ Church

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

Retired medical practitioner Dr. Shirley Herath (75), arrested and detained, over the hand grenade incident at All Saints’ Church in Borella was yesterday ordered to be remanded till February 28 after being produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.  

While ordering to remand the suspect, Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya denied the defence’s version that no evidence has been adduced against the suspect to be charged under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). In her order, the Additional Magistrate held that court can be satisfied with evidence presented so far against the suspect. The Additional Magistrate further held that she is making a remand order on the fact that police are yet to conduct further investigations using telephone conversation details of the suspect. 

Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appearing for the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) submitted to court that the suspect was produced before Court in terms of section 7(1) of the PTA. He alleged that the suspect is responsible for two other incidents where hand grenades were found at a private hospital in Narahenpita and at a temple in Bellanwila.