Angulana OIC, 3 others sentenced to death

The Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced to death a former Officer-in-Charge of the Angulana Police station Inspector T.J. Newton, Police Sergeant Indrawansa Kumarasiri, Police Constable Nihal Jayarathna and former Home Guard Janapriya Senarathna who were found guilty of murdering two youth in 2009.

A High Court trial-at-bar presided by Judge Deepali Wijesundara including judges W.T.M.P.B. Warawewa and Kumudini Wickremasinghe sentenced the suspects to death and imposed a 40 year rigorous imprisonment each.

They have also been ordered to pay Rs.100, 000 each as a fine and in the event of default a further two years will be added to the sentence imposed.

Dhanushka Udayanga Aponso (27) and Dinesh Tharanga Fernando (21) were murdered on 12 August, 2009. The convicted police officers had arrested the two youth over a minor offence on the night of 12 August, 2009. Their bullet ridden bodies were found on the rail track at Angulana in Moratuwa the following day.

Following the discovery of the bodies of the two youth, residents of the area surrounded the police station protesting the murder and held the police officers demanding the arrest of the culprits.

The authorities were forced to take quick action to arrest the suspected police officers to quell public anger.

A tense situation occurred at the Colombo High Court yesterday following the delivery of the judgment. A large gathering of relatives and friends of the two youth murdered by the police officers jeered at the convicts when they were taken out to the prison.  The mobs were dispersed by the Police, court sources said.