190th Day of the Main Easter Attack Trial – HC (TAB) 2972/21
Date: 20th May 2026|
Venue: Special Permanent Three-Judge High Court (Trial-at-Bar), 2nd Floor, MCC Building, Adhikarana Mawatha, Colombo 12.
At the commencement of proceedings, the Medical Officer of the prison informed the Court that the 1st Accused was suffering from loose motion and was unable to attend Court, following which proceedings were adjourned until 12.30 p.m. and prison authorities were directed to report on his fitness to attend. When Court resumed, the 1st Accused was present and the voir dire inquiry relating to the 18th Accused proceeded. Police Sergeant No. 34567 Upali Upananda testified that on 4th June 2021 he was attached to TID Upasewaya duty and that the 18th Accused was detained at the New Secretariat Office Building. He stated that the accused had requested in Sinhala to meet a superior officer and that he had recorded this request in the information book. In cross-examination, it was suggested that the accused was not detained at the said location and could not speak or understand Sinhala, which the witness denied and maintained his version.
The Inspector of Police Gayan Dilanka Ratnayake, the investigating officer, testified that he had been assigned the investigation file of the 18th Accused by the Director of TID and that the accused had been initially detained at Angunakolapelessa Prison before being brought under a detention order to the New Secretariat Building, and thereafter transferred to the Bhutani Capital Building for COVID-19 quarantine between 29th April and 4th May 2021. During cross-examination, the detention order marked 18VD1 was produced, which required detention at the New Secretariat Building; however, the witness admitted that the accused had in fact been held at the Bhutani Capital Building and that at the time of the alleged statement he was not at the authorised location. It was further suggested that the accused had been unlawfully detained and coerced into signing documents under threats to his family, which the witness denied.
The Police Sergeant No. 32746 Wijethunga testified that on 17th June 2021, while on duty at the Bhutani Capital Building, the 18th Accused had requested through him to meet ASP Ratnayake, after which he informed the OIC and produced the accused before the ASP. He further stated that the accused was subsequently taken to the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) with the relevant forms, and that custody was transferred multiple times between officers with proper entries being made, before the accused was again returned to ASP Ratnayake. He also stated that the accused appeared calm and comfortable. In cross-examination, it was suggested that the accused had not made any such request in Sinhala and that the witness had fabricated the same, and further that COVID masking rules made observation of facial expressions impossible, which he denied.
Police Sergeant No. 59713 Jayantha Sisira Bandara testified that on 14th June 2021 he had been on duty at the Upasewaya Unit of the Bhutani Capital Building and that custody of the 18th Accused had been handed over to Police Constable Pushpa Kumara at approximately 11.15 a.m. and later returned around noon, with both handovers duly recorded. In cross-examination, it was suggested that the incident had not occurred and that the witness could not have identified the accused due to lack of prior familiarity and COVID-related restrictions, which the witness denied.
The Police Constable No. 67201 Ruwan Chathuranga testified that on 17th June 2021 he had produced the 18th Accused before ASP Ratnayake, after which he was instructed to remove handcuffs and remain outside the office. He stated that the accused was later sent for JMO examination and that custody transfers were carried out between officers in accordance with instructions and properly recorded. In cross-examination, it was suggested that he was not on duty on the relevant date and had given false evidence, which he denied.
Thereafter, procedural corrections were made in relation to the voir dire inquiry concerning the 9th Accused, and PW8 and PW9 from the additional witness list related to the 18th Accused were summoned.
The matter was then fixed for further trial and continuation of the voir dire inquiry concerning the 18th Accused on 21st May 2026 at 10.00 a.m
