Duminda Silva indictment:

'My father's killer will be punished soon'

by Jaliya Wijeyekoon

On October 8, 2011 shockwaves erupted in the political circles over the cold blooded murder of former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, the Presidential Advisor on trade union matters and three others in Walpola, Mulleriyawa at a shootout. Colombo District parliuamentarian R. Duminda Silva too were injured where 13 other suspects were involved in the incident.

On November 15, 2011 the Colombo Magistrate issued an order to arrest R. Duminda Silva over the incident, but he was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Singapore. On March 5, 2013 Silva arrived in Sri Lanka and was arrested before being admitted to Nawaloka Hospital for further treatment.

Thereafter, the case was being heard at snail's pace during the previous regime with no proper action seemingly taken by the authorities concerned and different views being expressed by interested parties.

In spite of all those obstacles, slain Premachandra's daughter, Hirunika a Provincial Councillor, was determined to reinvigorate the case to seek justice over the incident.

The recent Presidential election gave her an ideal platform to express her grievances and expose the manner in which the previous regime tried to cushion off the matter to protect its hooligans. She addressed all major campaign rallies of Maithripala Sirisena and requested the public to change the maladministration of Mahinda Rajapaksa which was riddled with an unprecedented degree of corruption in all vital areas, including the judiciary and police.

With the dawn of the new government where no political interference over police or judiciary is exercised, Hirunika Premachandra is confident that her slain father's murder case hearing would be expedited and the criminals dealt accordingly.

Speaking to Sunday Observer she categorically stated that there is substantial evidence to prove 'beyond doubt' that a particular person is directly involved in killing her father and that she would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the proper punishment is meted on the assassin. She said that she has great confidence in President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe both of whom have assured her that justice would be meted out to any culprit irrespective of the position they hold.

The Sunday Observer also contacted Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana to ascertain the present position of the case. SSP Rohana said they have already completed the police investigations on the charges of murder and unlawful assembly against 13 suspects and forwarded the relevant file to the Attorney General's Department for necessary actions on February 26 and awaiting instructions to proceed.

The Attorney General has indicted 13 suspects including MP R. Duminda Silva in connection with the assassination of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

The Attorney General filed action against them in High Court on March 3 on 17 charges including the Premachandra murder by shooting.

The suspects were identified as Chandana Jagath Kumara, Pathiranage Chaminda Ravi Jayanth, Kodippiliarachchige Nalaka Sameera, Vidanagamage Amila, Sarath Bandara, Suranga Premalal, Chaminda Saman Kumara Abeywickrema, Priyantha Janaka Bandara, R. Duminda Silva, Rohana Marasinghe and Liyanaarchchi Saminda.

Most of these suspects are said to be members of the security detail of Colombo district parliamentarian Duminda Silva while others are his cronies and henchmen who accompanied him at the time.