Supreme Court to Revisit Premalal Jayasekara Acquittal

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Supreme Court granted permission to proceed with an appeal challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara and two others, who had previously been sentenced to death over a fatal shooting incident.

The appeal seeks to nullify the ruling that released the three accused from their death sentence, arguing that the decision was legally flawed. The petition was filed by an aggreived party.

The matter was reviewed by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva, Priyantha Fernando, and Sampath Abeykoon. The Supreme Court, after considering the merits of the petition, granted leave to hear the case.

The hearing has been scheduled for February 13 next year.

The case is from a 2015 incident during the presidential election campaign, where a shooting at a political rally in Kahawatta—organized in support of then-candidate Maithripala Sirisena—resulted in the death of a supporter named Shantha Dodangoda.

Jayasekara and two others were convicted and sentenced to death in connection with the killing.

Petitioners argue that the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit the accused was inconsistent with the law and have requested the Supreme Court to reinstate the original death sentence handed down by the High Court.