Five police officers sentenced to life with rigorous imprisonment

By Upali Ananda - Anuradhapura 

Five police officers  including the then OIC of the Bharatipuram Police Station in the Trincomalee District were sentenced to life with rigorous imprisonment  after being convicted over an incident  that happened 26 years ago.

The North Central Provincial High Court Judge, Manoj Thalgodapitiya, delivered the judgement.

Indictments had been served against them for being present in the police station when the incident in which eight unarmed Tamils were taken to the police station and gunned down by an armed group.

Two other police officers were acquitted from the charges. The convicts are Inspector of Police R. M. Ranaraja Bandara who served as the OIC of the Bharatipuram Police Station in the Kantale division, Sub Inspector G. L. Somaratne, Police Sergeants Chandraratne Bandara, K. M. Nihal Prematilake R. and R. Somaratne Bandara Mediwela.
They were charged for being part of an unlawful assembly that committed the crime.