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Jayawardhanapura student killing : Eight identified yesterday

by Sarath Malalasekera

Four other suspects were identified yesterday at the identification parade bringing the total number of undergraduates identified in connection with the Samantha Vithanage killing to eight.

They were identified by several prosecution witnesses at the identification parade held by the Gangodawila Magistrate and Additional District Judge Pradeep Hettiarachi.

The prosecution witnesses identified J.A. Wasantha Chandra Kumar, M.H. Saman Shantha Prasad, M.A. Indika Thushara Gunaratne and K.M. Chandana Kulasekera as four students who were alleged to have been in the mob attack. They possessed wooden poles, the witnesses told the Judge.

Earlier, four suspects Nalaka Liyanagama, Rajaguru Mudiyanselage Indika Roshan Jayasena, Dilruksha Rupasena and Nushantha Jayasena were identified at the parade. Some of the suspects identified by the prosecution witnesses were members of the ragging group.

Two of the suspects identified earlier were members of the progressive Front which holds the power of the University's main student council. The student council is a branch of the Inter University Student's Federation (IUSF) backed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Mirihana Police assisted by the CID have arrested 40 suspects.

Samantha, a third year management student who opposed ragging in the university was brutally attacked by several undergraduates on November 7.

Tight security prevailed in and around the court premises during the parade.

Haripriya Jayasundera appeared for the State while Suneetha Nanayakkara, Ratna Gamage, Wasantha Ranasinghe, Padmakumara Seneratne, Udeni Seneviratne and Geetha Madalawatte appeared for some of the suspects yesterday.

Western Province (South) and Crimes and Intelligence DIG Sirisena Herath directed investigations conducted by Senior SP Raja Weerakoon and SP Cecil Perera.

Nugegoda SP Mahesh Samaradivakara, ASP Nihal Samaraweera, Chief Inspector K.A. Premadasa, HQI, Mirihana, Inspector Ajith Dahanayake, OIC CDB, Mirihana, Inspector Suresh de Silva, Dehiwela Crimes OIC are assisting the investigation.

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