By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj
Two days before the advent of the “Pilava” April New Year on April 12th , Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala released 11 suspects who had been in custody for two years since early 2019. These included well-known underworld figure Sanjeewa Samararatne alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa a.k.a. Malingamuwe Sanjeewa and ten others who were in custody for allegedly plotting to assassinate Tamil National Alliance(TNA) Jaffna District Parliamentarian Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran and several other charges Alongside the plot to assassinate M. A. Sumanthiran MP, investigators had been probing related threads including digging up claymore mines and T- 56 assault rifles supposedly buried in the North by the LTTE, smuggling the same to Colombo and suburbs and trading with underworld figures.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala released the 11 suspects due to Police Officers investigating the case declaring to court that the Attorney General had said there was insufficient evidence to proceed further against 11 of the 15 suspects in custody. The AG Dappula de Livera had advised the Police that there was not enough evidence to prosecute this group of 11. The Attorney-General had also advised Police to make preparations for prosecuting the remaining four suspects in the near future.