The Welisara Magistrate’s Court has ordered a suspect who was arrested over attacking a teenage boy with a sword and was in hiding for 11 days, to be remanded in custody until 19 January.

On 4 January, the suspect had attacked a 14-year-old child with a sword over a dispute that had occurred between two groups of people, the Police said. It is reported that a finger of the child’s left hand had been severed due to the sword attack. 

However, the suspect, Dilruk Prashantha Silva, a father of three, had surrendered to the Police after evading arrest for 11 days, following the discharge of the victim from the hospital, the Police said.

Nevertheless, on 15 January, Welisara Magistrate Thusitha Dhammika Uduwawidana ordered the suspect to be remanded in custody, after considering a request made by the Ragama Police stating that the investigations are still underway in search of the sword used in the attack.

Attorney-at-law Shamindra Soysa, who appeared on behalf of the victimised child before the Court, had previously filed a motion alleging that the Police, who had arrested the suspect previously, had released the suspect due to the pressure exerted on the investigating officers by a senior Police officer.

The Magistrate, who took all facts presented into consideration, ordered the case to be recalled on 19 January and also ordered the Police to report the progress of the investigations related to the case to the Court on the aforementioned date.