Bail refused for Rishad Bathiudeen

By T. Farook Thajudeen

A Colombo Magistrate yesterday refused bail to MP Rishad Bathiudeen in connection with the death of a 16-year-old domestic aide who worked in his house at Borella.

The bail application was taken up for inquiry before Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on a bail application filed in court by MP Batiudeen’s instructing attorney-at-law.

At the onset of the inquiry, Deputy Solicitor General Deleepa Pieris objecting bail to Bathiudeen told the Magistrate that even though Bathiudeen was not in his house at the time the incident took place, he is answerable as the chief occupant of the house. He endorsed that the behaviour of the suspect while in prison cannot be endorsed as correct because he had used a mobile phone and had threatened the prison officers.

DSG Pieris also underscored that in previous case dates, a person identifying himself as a journalist in UTV had been seen moving in the courthouse in a suspicious manner and had conveyed crucial facts to third parties. Therefore he said that if the suspect was granted bail, he may intervene with inquiry and the witnesses.

Counsel for the aggrieved party also objected to granting bail to the suspect.

Counsel M.M. Saheed appearing with Prasad Silva, Charith Wijesinghe and Evon Nirasha for the suspect contended that there is no fault for someone to be in the courthouse to witness a case as a journalist or in any other capacity. He emphasised that senior Police Aruni Bogahawatte, who is conducting investigations, is being stigmatised by an apex court for deliberately creating evidence against the suspect in another case.

He said these are the sort of officers who are conducting investigations into this matter and said that his client will not interfere with the witnesses or with the investigations, and to grant bail to the suspect on whatever conditions the court may deem suitable.

The Magistrate refused bail and ordered the Prison Superintendent to produce the suspect in court on 14 October.

Police had arrested Shehabdeen Ayesha, wife of Rishad Bathiudeen, her father Mohammed Shehabdeen, and Ponnaiah Pandaram alias Shankar, the broker who brought the girl to the MP’s residence, in connection with the death of the 16-year-old maid who died of burn injuries received while working at the MP’s residence.

Jude Kumar Ishalini, the domestic aide, aged 16, was employed in the house of former Minister Bathiudeen, was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital on 3 July with burn injuries and died on 15 July while being treated in the intensive care unit.