The Avissawella High Court on Friday sentenced 18 people including the former Chairman of the Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Saba, Anil Champika alias ‘Atha Kota’ for the killing of Superintendent, Noori Estate, Deraniyagala, Nihal Perera on July 5, 2013.
This, according to legal experts, is the first instance where 18 people were sentenced to death for the murder of one person.
The brutal murder of Noori Estate Superintendent created huge criticism over the conduct of local politicians who had run their own ‘kingdoms’ at village level, frightening innocent villagers and plundering State assets. The inaction of the Police to control such activities and the way the Police conducted investigations into the incident also came under severe criticism following the murder.
According to initial reports, the murder of Nihal Perera, the Superintendent of Noori estate, run by an American company, resulted, after he stood against gangs who reined in plantation sector areas such as Deraniyagala plundering State lands and plantations.
Nihal Perera who was brutally asaulted and tortured by a gang on July 5, 2013, succumbed to his injuries following his admission to the Deraniyagala hospital in a critical condition.
In this case, 18 were convicted on 10 charges including the attack Perera’s security guards and inflicting grievous harm, and conspiring to murder him on or before July 5, 2013.
Of the 21 suspects, 18 supects; Anil Champika Wijesinha, Amila Vasantha Wijesinha, T.K. Weerabahu, J. Wijekumara, Ramesh Sashikumar, Perumal Ravikumar, Perumal Udaya Kumar, Rajendran Ravikumar, Ramesh Sivakumar, Chitravel Nishantha Kumar, Krishnavel Rajendran, H.G. Asan Rangana Wijesinha, S. Palayandi, Arumuges Arjun, Panadura Gamaralage Indika Wijesiri, Arunachalam Muniyandi, Indunil Lakshitha and Dinesh Chathuranga were sentenced to death.
They are from Noori estate, Kuttigala and Dodawatta areas in Deraniyagala.
Suspects Sarath Wijesiri, Y.S. Mahendran and Tharindu Dhananjaya were acquitted. There were 31 witnesses in the case. Before delivering the judgement, the Judge thanked the State counsels and lawyers for their cooperation during the trial.
High Court Judge Devika Abeyratne delivering her judgment criticised the conduct of the Deraniyagala Police for the manner in which the investigation was handled.
The judge was of the view that certain actions of the Deraniyagala Police helped aggravate the situation in the estate. Investigation were later taken over by the CID.