(Lanka-e-News -30.Sep.2015, 10.40PM) The two suspects who aided and abetted in the attempted murder of ex president Chandrika on 18 th December 1999 by an LTTE suicide bomber were today sentenced to 260 years and 300 years in jail.
The courts of Sri Lanka (SL) taking 16 long years to sentence the culprits involved in the grave crime of attempted murder of the president of the country who is the first citizen clearly demonstrates the ‘efficiency’ of our legal system.
It is Colombo high court judge Ms. Padmini Ranawake who delivered this verdict today.
The first accused Vartharaja Udayan was sentenced to 360 years commuted to 30 years in jail , while the second accused Chandra Iyar Ragupathy was sentenced to 300 years commuted to 30 years in jail .Vasanthy Iyar Ragupathy the wife of the second accused who was also charged was acquitted and exonerated of all charges as the charges against her were not proved.The case was filed under section 190 against the accused.
It was at the last election rally of the second presidential election of Chandrika Bandaranaike this tragedy took place. Though she could save her life , she lost her right eye. 36 victims died in this suicide bomb attack including Chandrika’s driver , two of her body guards and a DIG . About 100 others including Cabinet ministers GL, Alavi Moulana and Kingsley Wickremeratne who is now dead sustained injuries.
Even after such a disaster , Chandrika the president at that time addressing the nation as soon as she could talk declared , the permanent answer to the terrorist issue is a political solution. She did not speak with venom and vengeance hitting herself on the chest like her successor imitating the chimpanzee.
She won at the presidential elections held two days later . Unfortunately the civilized era of the SLFP ended with the end of her leadership. Even today there are no signs of a revival of that era.
This civilized and disciplined period was clearly borne out by the fact that when she was in power and after , until today , Chandrika never prodded or propelled her children forward to secure political positions or privileges, although Mahinda Rajapakse did that ,with his children wreaking havoc on the country abusing their political posts and privileged positions . Now , the incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena who came to power after castigating and railing at Mahinda pointing out his egregious wrongs , is also playing hell with the country giving preference and prominence to his children and according privileges at public expense. Like Mahinda , Maithripala too has granted ministerial portfolios to ethanol dealers , drug peddlers and the corrupt .
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by (2015-09-30 17:29:05)
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