Matara court work disrupted

Dhammika Welegoda, Jayasiri Peduruarchchi and U M Ruwan

Court work in Matara was disrupted yesterday following a boycott of work by all lawyers as a mark of solidarity with the Matara Chief District Judge P D L Saman Kumara.

The judge was assaulted opposite the Matara Army Camp by a group of people including a motorcyclist, while he was travelling in his car with his wife on Sunday morning. An army corporal and his wife arrested in this connection by the Matara Police were produced before Matara Chief Magistrate Udesh Ranatunge yesterday and remanded till June 6.

The magistrate ordered the suspects to be produced before an identification parade on that day. The magistrate directed police to arrest all other suspects involved in the incident and produce them in court. The suspect corporal’s wife was admitted to the Matara hospital under a prison guard.