13 years RI for making forged deed

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court Judge Malani Abeywardana Ranathunga sentenced a person for making a forged deed to a plot of land in extent of 276 perches in Kalalgoda, Pannipitiya and selling it to another person. The Court sentenced him to 13 years rigorous imprisonment (RI).

Kalumith Norman Silva whose office was located at Kalalgoda, Pannipitiya was convicted for two charges out of five in the indictment. The Court also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 and another three and half years RI in default.

The Convict had made forged deed to the plot of land named Kalalgodalanda alias Kekunagahawatta in Kalalgoda between August 8, 1997 and September 2, 1997.

The convict had urged someone not known to the prosecution to put the signature of Meewanage Kusumawathi Perera of Batapotha, Battaramulla, the genuine owner of the land on a document before a notary public that said M. K. Perera sold the land to the convict. Thereafter he had sold the land to Nihal Uduwara for Rs 6.3 million.

The investigation initiated by the Criminal Investigations Department following M. K. Perera, retired teacher, complained that she came to an agreement to sell the land to convict for Rs. 11.6 million he paid only Rs. 4.5 million. Later without settling the rest amount of money he had made a forged document and sold the land.

The convict was already in the prison for a previous conviction and he had been convicted in 19 previous indictments.