DIG Anura Senanayake granted bail

By T. Farook Thajudeen

Former Western Province Senior DIG Anura Senanayake was released on a heavy cash bail of Rs. 1 million by the Colombo High Court yesterday.

Senanayake was in remand for more than one year for allegedly suppressing evidence of the killing of former Havelock SC Captain Waseem Thajudeen in May 2012.

The High Court released Senanayake on a bail of Rs. 1 million in cash with three sureties for Rs. 5 million on each of the surety. The court further ordered that one of the sureties should be a close relation of Senanayake. His passport was impounded and he was restricted from travelling abroad. He was also ordered to be present before the CID on the last Sunday of every month.

The Court also warned Senanayake to refrain from intimidating the witnesses of the case and from interfering with the investigations. Former DIG Senanayake and Former Narahenpitiya Police traffic OIC Sujith Perera were alleged to have supress the evidence of the case. The killing of Thajudeen at first appeared to be an accident but it was later ruled a murder.

The revision was filed in the High Court seeking a revision to Magistrate Nishantha Peiris’s decision made on 23 May 2016 to remand Senanayake for suppressing evidence.

Counsel Ani l Silva appearing with Oanaraj Samarakoon for Senanayake during the inquiry into the revision application submitted that his client was wrongfully and illegally kept in remand for more than a year by violating the provisions of the Constitution and the Bail Act.

The Court on considering the submissions of the prosecution and the defence, released Senanayake on bail.