Date: 22nd July 2026
Case No: HC (TAB) 2972/21
Court: Special Permanent Three-Judge High Court (Trial-at-Bar)
Venue: Special Permanent Three-Judge High Court (Trial-at-Bar), 2nd Floor, MCC Building, Adhikarana Mawatha, Colombo 12.
The case was taken up before the Trial-at-Bar with all accused present, except the 17th accused, who had passed away. The 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 10th, 15th, 17th, 18th, and 19th accused were represented by Mr. Kaneel Maddumage, AAL. The 12th and 13th accused were represented by Mr. Ravindu Yasas, AAL. The 20th to 25th accused were represented by Mr. Mayuran Mahalingam AAL under the instructions of Mr. Sanjeewa Ruwanpathirana, AAL. The 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 14th, and 16th accused appeared in person.
The witness PW 1719, Lionel Samaraweera gave further evidence regarding the investigation conducted into the blast at a house in Samanthurai. The witness proceeded to the relevant premises and investigated the scene, where a large number of productions were recovered. These included nitric acid cans, blue-coloured plastic barrels containing corrosive nitric acid, a multimedia projector, a drone and other devices, a portable air-conditioning machine, a fan heater, seven books, six circuits, safety fuses, push-button switches, five-ampere fuses, eight fuses, unused 16 GB pen drives, battery connectors and battery clips, a table clock, scientific beakers, a microphone, two gun boots, 11 sulphuric-acid cans and five bags of urea. These productions were listed from P- 1078 to P- 1366.
During the investigation, information was received regarding a suspicious house in Nindavur, and the witness and other officers proceeded to the premises and recovered further productions. Thereafter, on 28 April 2019, information was received regarding another suspicious house in Bolivarian Grama, where Saharan Hashim’s wife and family were present. Officers proceeded to the premises and recovered several productions, which were marked as P- 1368 to P- 1373.
The witness further stated that a blast had occurred at the Bolivarian Grama premises. Following the incident, officers took steps to admit Saharan Hashim’s wife and daughter, who had survived the incident, for medical treatment. From the premises, officers recovered three white shawls, three white blouses, three white skirts, white underskirts and white fabric. It was subsequently revealed that the white clothing had been purchased from Jayasundara Textile, Giriulla. A T-56 firearm, six live rounds of ammunition, a multimedia projector and the remaining parts of a burnt computer were also taken into custody.
The officers subsequently returned to the Nindavur house, where they recovered white blouses, a white skirt and two salwars. These items were included in the production list under 78/2019 and were marked as P- 1407.
The witness also gave evidence regarding steps taken pursuant to an order made by the Kalmunai Magistrate’s Court in Case No. B/9924/2019. In accordance with the Court’s order, DNA samples were required to be obtained from Saharan Hashim’s wife and daughter and handed over to the Government Analyst. Accordingly, the witness obtained blood samples from both individuals at the Ampara General Hospital and brought them to the Ampara Crime Investigation Division. The blood sample of the wife was listed as PR-79/2019, while the daughter’s sample was listed as PR-80/2019. These PR were marked as P- 1408 and P- 1409, respectively, and were subsequently handed over to the Government Analyst.
The evidence-in-chief of PW- 1719 was concluded, and there was no cross-examination.
The witness PW 1909, Sharada Nivantha Fernando was the Officer-in-Charge of the Mount Lavinia Crime Division. Upon receiving information regarding the explosion in the New Tropical Inn, Dehiwala, the witness promptly proceeded to the scene on 21 April 2019. The suicide bomber connected with the Easter Sunday attacks had detonated a bomb at the hotel. The witness attended the scene together with the Judicial Medical Officer of the Kalubowila Hospital, police officers, the Bomb Disposal Division, and the Magistrate of the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.
Upon arrival, two deceased persons were found inside a room of the hotel. They were identified as a couple who had been staying at the premises. During the investigation, it was revealed that the person who had detonated the bomb was Abdul Latif Jameel Mohammed, commonly referred to as Jameel Latif. His National Identity Card and passport were recovered from the hotel.
As Jameel Latif’s body had been severely fragmented as a result of the explosion, pieces of flesh believed to be parts of his body were collected using cotton swabs and handed over to the Government Analyst’s Department for examination.
The witness also investigated the point of the explosion and the surrounding area, and various productions connected with the blast were recovered from the hotel. The crime scene was photographed and documented, and the relevant productions were entered into the production records.
The following production references were marked:
* PR-46/2019 – P- 1410
* PR-47/2019 – P- 1411
* PR-48/2019 – P- 1412
* PR-49/2019 – P- 1413
* PR-50/2019 – P- 1414
* PR-51/2019 – P- 1415
* PR-52/2019 – P- 1416
* PR-53/2019 – P- 1417
* PR-55/2019 – P- 1418
* PR-56/2019 – P- 1419
* PR-58/2019 – P- 1420
* PR-64/2019 – P- 1421
* PR-65/2019 – P- 1422
* PR-68/2019 – P- 1423
* PR-72/2019 – P- 1424
The productions recovered included steel balls, spring components, two passports belonging to Jameel, the remaining part of Jameel’s driving licence, a blue shirt, denim trousers, a white T-shirt, black underwear, a hair sample, Jameel’s flesh sample, small books and soil samples.
Several samples collected from the New Tropical Inn were also sent to the Government Analyst’s Department for examination under CE 183/2019. The production under PR-56/2019, consisting of steel bicycle balls together with their covers and the box in which they had been kept, were marked as P- 1425 and P- 1426. Further recoveries under the relevant PR receipt were marked from P- 1427 to P- 1440.
The witness PW 1809, Prasad Senadheera Silva, a Sub-Inspector of Police who, in 2019, was attached to the Colombo South Crime Investigation Division gave evidence. On 21 April 2019, acting on the instructions of the OIC, the witness proceeded to the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, following information that a bomb blast had occurred there. While proceeding to the premises, he received further information that an explosion had also occurred at the Shangri-La Hotel. He therefore proceeded to the Shangri-La Hotel.
Upon arrival at the Shangri-La Hotel, the witness observed large quantities of shattered glass and several deceased persons at the scene. Three deceased persons had been covered with fabric. The witness also obtained a sketch of the area affected by the explosion, depicting the relevant blast site.
The Government Analyst and his team, the Inspector General of Police, and the OIC of the Kompannavidiya Crime Division also attended the scene. The productions recovered from the crime scene were properly secured and sealed and were thereafter duly sent to the Colombo South laboratory. They were subsequently entered into the relevant production register.
The productions were marked as follows:
* PR-55/2019 – P- 1441, consisting of blood samples collected from the crime scenes.
* PR-56/2019 – P- 1442
* PR-57/2019 – P- 1443
* PR-58/2019 – P- 1444
* PR-59/2019 – P- 1445
* PR-60/2019 – P- 1446
* PR-61/2019 – P- 1447
The productions recovered from the Shangri-La Hotel included ash-coloured and blue-coloured remaining parts of bags, ash-coloured fabric, two pairs of shoes, soil samples and other materials connected with the blast also broken mobile phone devices, a pair of black Puma shoes, black trousers and a sum of money, which was suspected to have belonged to the bombers.
The witness stated that he attended the Shangri-La Hotel crime scene on 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 April 2019, and on each of these dates further investigations were conducted and additional productions were recovered and taken into custody.
The proceedings were thereafter adjourned for the day for continuation of further evidanve in chief of the same witness on 23 July 2026 at 10.00 a.m.
