Jeseekaran acquitted

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court Judge Kumuduni Wickramasinghe yesterday acquitted W. Jeseekaran, publisher of the North Eastern monthly magazine on all the counts.

The Court acquitted Jeseekaran and his wife W. Mullerwadi after the Attorney General's Department made submissions before Court to acquit them as Jeseekaran was merely the publisher of the magazine. The Editor of the magazine J.S. Tissanayagam was convicted by the Court.

Indictment was filed against Wettawel Jeseekaran on four counts for publishing the North Eastern monthly magazine between June 01, 2006 to June 01, 2007. According to the indictment the publication was defaming the Government and arousing racism. The same indictment charged Mullerwadi aided and abetted Jeseekaran to publish the magazine.

Senior State Counsel Roshantha Abeysooriya appeared for the Attorney General while Attorneys-at-Law Saliya Pieris and K.V. Thawarasa appeared for defence.