High Court awards death sentence to Duminda Silva in Bharatha Lakshman case

Sept 08, 2016 (LBO) – Colombo High Court today handed the death sentence to five defendants including former MP Duminda Silva in the Bharatha Lakshman murder trial, media reports said.







Five defendants included former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva, Anura Thushara de Mel, Chaminda Jayanath, Sarath Bandara and Priyantha Janaka Bandara.



Other suspects who were produced before High Court were acquitted by the court.

17 indictments were filed by the AG against the defendants in connection with unlawful assembly and murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and four others in 2011.

The case was taken up for trial on the 12th October 2015 before the Colombo High Court. Media reports said the death sentence for the murder trial was a divided judgment and the five defendants will have the option of appeal.