Policemen acquitted of abduction charges

By L.B. Senaratne

Three Police officers, who were attached to the Mahawela Police Station in 1989 and were indicted for abduction with the intention of keeping a victim in confinement, were acquitted by the Court Two Kandy High Court Judge Nalin Perera.

In this case the three Police Officers, Sergeant D.N.M. Jayantha Senerath Bandara, Assitant Police Constable H.M.E. Gamini Herath and Police Sergeant V.D.D. Weheragoda (since retired) were charged before the Kandy High Court.

They were charged by the Attorney General for an incident on December 25, 1989 at Mahawela in the Matale Police Division, of abduction with the intention of keeping in confinement P.G. Rupasinghe of Mahawela and his subsequent disappearance.

A complaint was made to police of the incident around 1989 and nine years later to the Missing Persons Division when inquiries commenced.

Wife of the victim R.A.D. Perera gave evidence.

At the conclusion of the trial, the first accused, Sergeant D.N.M. Senarath Bandara was acquitted.

The second accused H.M.E. Gamini Herath gave a dock statement and accused V.D. Weragoda gave evidence from the witness box.
Attorney-at-Law Afat Jameel defended the first and second accused and Attorney-at-Law S.B. Elikewela defended the third accused.