Robert Pious, convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has petitioned the Tamil Nadu government seeking mercy killing. In a three-page petition, Pious has asked the government to euthanize him instead of letting him spend the rest of his life in prison. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "In 2014, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa had attempted to get us released but now I understand that the government would want me to spend the rest of my life in prison.

This is not just affecting me but my family as well. I request you to allow mercy killing and euthanize me," Robert Pious said in his letter. He has sought mercy killing on earlier occasions. As recently as February 2017, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar dismissed Tamil Nadu's petition to review the judgement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The plea was dismissed on the ground of delay in filing the petition and also on merit. In 2014 the Supreme Court had stayed the release of four other convicts including Pious stating that there were procedural lapses on part of the state government.

Pious, a Sri Lankan Tamil arrived in India with his wife and others as part of a batch of LTTE commandos in September 1990 according to investigators. In his statement to the police, he had confessed that his child had died due to atrocities perpetrated by the IPKF sent to Sri Lanka by the Rajiv Gandhi government and that he wanted to seek revenge. Pious is also said to have allegedly confessed to being part of the key planners for the assassination and was convicted for his role in the conspiracy.

Sri Lanka remains on high alert as Canadian leaders may make genocide allegations next month when the country marks the war victory, according to a diplomatic source.

The respondent parties in the first application filed before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court under the newly enacted Online Safety Act, raised objections challenging the maintainability of the application.

The Court of Appeal has issued notice on former Member of Parliament Hirunika Premachandra, requiring her to appear before court on May 8 in connection with a contempt of court application.

The Catholic Church has received the remaining parts of the report submitted by the presidential commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today. Cardinal Ranjith said the church had received it three weeks ago. “A team of lawyers are studying the report and we will come up with a statement on it once the study is completed,” he told a briefing.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested two suspects, including a retired Major of the Sri Lanka Army for fraudulently obtaining money from individuals promising employment in the Russian army.

The Colombo District Court today further extended its enjoining order preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). This order will be effective till May 9. The Colombo District Court made this order following a lawsuit filed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Sri Lanka is considering providing free visas to over 50 countries, it was reported. According to Tourism Ministry sources, a proposal in this regard is to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers next week.

According to the family members, the funeral service for former Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma is scheduled to take place this Friday (10).

Admissions for the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations will be issued by next week, the Examinations Department said. Accordingly, admissions will be issued to school applicants through the respective principals and to private applicants by post. The examination is scheduled to be held on May 6.

Preparations are underway to bid farewell to late Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, the founder and President Emeritus of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, with full state honours.

The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated further against the US Dollar today (Apr 17), compared to Tuesday, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 294.20 to Rs. 295.28, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 303.54 to Rs. 305.19. The Rupee has also depreciated against several foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies.

The United States (US) Government recently held preliminary talks with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Colombo regarding the planned transfer of a fourth US Coast Guard cutter to the SLN, as part of the ongoing security partnership between both the countries.

Amidst reports that some ex-military men from Sri Lanka have joined the Russian military operations against Ukraine, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Moscow Prof. Janita Liyanage said she asked for details about them from the Russian military if any. She said this in response to a query about media reports to that effect. “I sought such details from the Russian military if there is anyone there,” she said.

Sri Lanka cannot be pushed and bumped into a global conflict and therefore it should be diligent in its dealings with various nations, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP said today.

Stressing that it is time to forget party politics, the United National Party (UNP) today invited all political parties to join hands to create a stable nation.

The official vehicle of Primary Industries State Minister Chamara Sampath Dassanayake caught fire this morning in the Halpe area, as reported by the Ella police. They said the vehicle caught fire due to a technical failure.

The Central Bank has purchased the most amount of dollars for a single month in March, a sign that the country is currently in a very comfortable position in its foreign currency liquidity, after two years into the worst currency crisis in the country.

At least ten people were killed in eight road accidents within the past 24 hours in differenet parts of the country, Police said.

A 62-year-old woman who was receiving treatment at the Jaffna Hospital died of Covid-19, hospital sources said. The woman, a resident of Jaffna had arrived from France last week and was admitted to the Jaffna Hospital due to fever.

Sri Lanka’s state-owned enterprises incurred 744.6 billion rupees in losses in 2022, the SOE restructuring unit has said. “52 State-Owned Enterprises in Sri Lanka incurred losses of LKR 744.6 billion in 2022,” SOERU said in a social media post. “When divided by the total number of Citizen, each citizen needs bare LKR 33,949.”