• Court had decided to proceed with the trial in the absentia of the third accused Indika Sampath who is absconding court 

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda  

The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday fixed for January 6 to deliver its judgment in respect of the Welikada Prison Riot case filed against three accused including former Superintendent of Magazine Prison Lamahewage Emil Ranjan, over the killing of eight inmates on November 09, 2012.   

Trial-at-Bar bench comprising three High Court judges Gihan Kulathunga (President), Pradeep Hettiarachchi, Manjula Thilakarathna announced that judgment is to be delivered on January 6 after analysing evidence adduced by both prosecution and defence parties.  

The Attorney General had filed indictments against Inspector of Police Moses Rangajeewa of Police Narcotics Bureau, Superintendent of Magazine Prison Lamahewage Emil Ranjan and Indika Sampath, an officer attached to the Prisons intelligence unit in connection with the Welikada Prison Riot.  

The court had decided to proceed the trial in the absentia of the third accused Indika Sampath who is absconding court since the inception of the CID investigations.  

The eight prison inmates who were killed in the incident are Kankanamlage Malinda Nilendra Pelpola alias Malan, Atapattu Sangakkara Nirmala Atapattu, Mohammed Wijaya rohana alias Gundu, Chinthamani Mohottige Thushara Chandana alias Kalu Thushara, Asarappulige Jothipala alias Ponna Kapila, Harshan Sri Manakeerthi Perera alias Manju sri , Raigamage Susantha Perera alias Mala Susantha, Devamullage Malith Sameera Perera alias Konda Amila.