Trial against ex-DIG Anura Senanayake for screening evidence fixed for 23 Oct.

By T. Farook Thajudeen

Colombo High Court yesterday fixed the hearing of the case against Senior DIG Anura Senanayake for screening evidence of the murder of Havelock Sport Club rugby player Wasim Thajudeen for 23 October.

At the outset of the inquiry President Counsel Anil Silva making pleadings informed High Court Judge Vickum Kaluarachchi to issue some documents pertaining to the case to the Defence as the Prosecution had not tendered the copies of those documents to the Defence until yesterday. Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake who appeared for the Prosecution on behalf of the Attorney General undertook to issue those copies to the Defence in due course.

DIG Senanayake was accused of having screened the evidence into the death of Wasim Thajudeen by knowing or having reason to believe that an offence punishable by death has been committed and provided false information by screening the offender from legal punishment Thajudeen was killed apparently in a road accident on 12 May 2012. Later it was revealed that the death was a murder.

The accused Anura Senanayake was released on Rs. 1 million cash bail with two sureties for Rs. 2 million on each surety by the High Court. He is also banned from foreign travel and his passport was impounded. 

The court had earlier summoned six prosecution witnesses including former Narahenpita OIC Sumith Champika Perera to appear before court on 23 October to give evidence.

Senanayake was indicted in the High Court under Section 198 of the Penal Code for screening offenders of Thajudeen’s murder from legal punishment.

24 witnesses including Wasim Thajudeen’s sister Fatima Thajudeen and Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer Prof. Ajith Tennakoon are named to give evidence for the Prosecution.

The corpse of Thajudeen was found inside his burnt car by the parapet wall of Shalika Grounds in Narahenpita on 12 May 2012. 

It was ruled as an accident but later it revealed that the death was not due to an accident but a murder.

DIG Senanayake was arrested under Section 198 of the Penal Code for causing the disappearance of evidence or giving false information. He was in remand for a year.