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‘Ex president Mahinda Rajapakse exerted intense unrelenting pressure on me against pursuing the murder case’- Hirunika shocks High court !

(Lanka-e-News- 07.Aug.2015, 7.45PM) Deposed president Mahinda Rajapakse when he was in power (in his characteristic style ) compelled Hirunika Premachandra , daughter of shot and murdered  Baratha Lakshman , a trade union advisor of ex president, not to pursue the murder case , said Hirunika before court yesterday.

A three judge panel was appointed by high court to hear this case, and today was its first day of hearing.The judges comprising the bench are judges of the high court : Padmini Ranawake Gunatileke , Shiran Gunatileke and M.C.B.S. Moraes.

The charges filed against the accused are :On 2011-10-08 participating in an unlawful assembly at Angoda resulting in the  murder of four individuals inluding Baratha Lakshman ;attempting to kill Raju  Uruge Gamini; intimidating and threatening the voters with the use of firerams, who came to exercise their franchise , , thereby committing a heinous crime.

12 individuals  including Duminda Silva were  named as accused , and they pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them in court.

Meanwhile , Janaka Galaboda another suspect in this case did not appear in court when this case was heard. His wife who appeared in court giving evidence revealed that in November 2011 , after the incident at Angoda , an armed group that came in a white Van abducted her husband , and in this connection a separate case is proceeding in Kaduwala magistrate court .

The high court that accepted her explanation , decided to continue with the Baratha Lakshman murder case without this accused’s presence. The three judges panel ordered that this controversial murder case shall be heard from 12 th October weekly every Monday , Tuesday and Wednesday  continuously.

Following the hearing , Hirunika who addressed the media within  the court precincts , said, she struggled hard for three years for this court trial , and ex president Mahinda Rajapakse exerted intense pressure on her against proceeding with this murder case.While expressing her satisfaction over nomination being not granted to Duminda Silva under the good governance administration , went on to appeal to the public to come forward to give evidence fearlessly as the accused are out of  power now.
 
Both Hirunika and Duminda were present in court for the case . The photograph depicts such an instance –courtesy Daily Mirror

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by     (2015-08-07 14:14:42)

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