Shyam killing:Vas, son, 4 others sentenced to death

by Chitra Weerarathne-November 28, 2015, 8:51 am 

A High Court of Trial-at-Bar yesterday, unanimously convicted the former DIG Gajendra Vas Gunawardene, his son Ravindu Vas Gunawardene and four other persons of the murder, abduction and conspiracy to murder of a businessman named Mohamed Shyam and imposed the death penalty on all of them.

The bench comprised Colombo High Court Judges, Lalith Jayasuriya (President) Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene and Amendra Seneviratne.

The Trial-at-Bar said that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that the six persons indicted were guilty of all the ten charges including the major charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and abduction.

The prosecution evidence was accepted by the court. The defence evidence was rejected. The Deputy Solicitor General, Ayesha Jinasena, told the Court that, according to the evidence, placed before the court, the persons indicted were guilty of murder, and death penalty should be imposed. She added that the DIG, being a senior police officer should not have got involved in such a crime. The people had lost the regard for the Police Department as a result.

The indicted persons yesterday in their dock statement before the imposition of the penalty, denied all the charges against them.

Vas Gunawardene, the former DIG said that the CID had not carried out a proper investigation; it, he said, habitually harassed the persons arrested and made them give statements. He said he had done his official duties properly.

Ravindu Vas Gunawardene, the sixth accused, in the indictment, said that he was proud to be his father’s son, as his father had served the country well. He was proud to be in jail with his father, he said.

The other four convicts were, L.T. Bamunusinghem, Inspector of Police, G. Sarathchandra P. Sanjeewa and K.R. Dissanayake all three of them police constables.

The date of offence, had been around April 23, 2013 in the Colombo District, the court was told

The death penalty will be effective as permitted by the Head of State.