20-year imprisonment for poisoning water tank

• Accused fined Rs. 20,000 in addition to the jail term

By Dileep Jayasekara   

A minor employee of Sevanagala Rural Hospital who stood  indicted with attempted murder by poisoning the water tank in the Chief  Medical Officer’s official residence was found guilty and sentenced to 20-year imprisonment under two counts to be served in ten years by  Embilipitiya High Court Judge Buddhika Ragala. The accused was fined Rs.  20,000 in addition to the jail term.   

 The accused Nammuni Arachchige Nimal Ranjith, an attendant  of the hospital, had on February 03, 2023 mixed insecticides  into the water storage tank in the Chief Medical Officer’s quarters  which amounted to attempted murder of the doctor, his wife, and two  children.   

Sewanagala Police that investigated the incident had  arrested two suspects, including another doctor of the hospital. However,  the latter was acquitted when the Attorney General withdrew the charges  against him and the case proceeded against the attendant.   

Government Analyst K.A.P. B. Perera and Senior Prof. in  Forensic Medicine of the Colombo University Ravindra Fernando had tested  the samples of water and submitted reports.   

Delivering the sentence the High Court Judge held that the  charges against the accused had been established beyond reasonable doubt  securing a conviction against him.   

State Counsel Kalana Kotalawala prosecuted while Attorney-at-Law Niroshan Senerath appeared for the accused. PC 41742 Etugala of  Sevanagala Police gave evidence for the prosecution.         

• Delivering the sentence the High Court Judge held that the  charges against the accused had been established beyond reasonable doubt  securing a conviction against him