- Highlights evidence gathered from CID inquires
The Young Journalists’ Association of Sri Lanka (YJASL) requested the Attorney General (AG) to appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) against the Trial-at-Bar verdict given in the Rathupaswala case regarding the shooting of unarmed peaceful protestors who protested in Weliweriya demanding clean drinking water.
In a letter addressed to the AG, President’s Counsel Sanjay Rajaratnam yesterday (21), the YJASL stated that they had complained to the then Inspector General of Police N.K. Ilangakoon, requesting to transfer the investigation from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as the CCD was purportedly concealing significant evidence at that time. Accordingly, it was highlighted that a number of facts were revealed after the investigation was handed over to the CID. In the said letter, the YJASL observed further that the CID investigations revealed many important facts, such as the arrival of the Army team led by the then Brigadier Aruna Deshapriya Gunawardena to the place where the peaceful protest was held, then asking the peaceful protestors to disperse in a few minutes, and thereafter assaulting and shooting on the order of the Brigadier. It is mentioned in the letter that a number of pieces of evidence in relation to assaulting and shooting at the public, including Catholic priests, were discovered during the investigation carried out by the CID, claiming that the preliminary inquiry of the Army had also recorded that Brigadier Gunawardena did not issue any gunfire control command while the soldiers were shooting at the protestors for a lengthy period. Moreover, the YJASL urged the AG’s Department to file an appeal with the SC challenging the verdict given by the Trial-at-Bar in order to bring justice to the victims of the incident.
Last week, the four accused in the case over the shooting to death of three persons and injuring 45 others during a protest by villagers demanding clean drinking water at Rathupaswala in 2013 were acquitted by the Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar. Delivering the verdict in the case, the Court ordered the acquittal and release of four Army personnel, including a Major General (then Brigadier) and three soldiers.
On 1 August 2013, Army personnel opened fire at unarmed villagers in Weliweriya, killing three and injuring several others as they protested against a factory that they said polluted their groundwater and demanded clean drinking water.