An accused who stood indicted with the rape and gential mutilation of a nine year old girl was found guilty and sentenced to 51 year rigorous imprisonment by Kuliyapitiya High Court Judge Manoj Thalgodapitiya. he Attorney General had filed indictments against the accused under six counts.

The accused, Edirisinghe Arachchige Chandana Edirisinghe (39), who lived an itinerant life without a fixed abode as a manual worker had been know by aliases as Nimal and Shantha. He had in 2018 taken a nine year old child in the Wellpalla area, to an abandoned coconut land, raped her and caused her grievous injuries by cutting her private parts with a knife, and breaking her teeth.

Pannala police who investigated into the incident arrested the suspect and after non-summary proceedings before the Kuliyapitiiya magistrate’s court he had been committed to stand trial before the high court.

He had already been convicted of murder and sentenced to death by the Puttlam High Court for causing the death of his son who had been suffering from epilepsy, by burying him alive. He had raped the girl when he was on bail pending judgment on the murder case.

The accused was fined Rs. 20,500 under the six counts and ordered to serve the imprisonments under each count severally. Delivering the sentence, the judge held that the prosecution had established the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubts securing an indictment against him.

State Counsel Mahinda Silva assisted by Pannala Police prosecuted while assigned lawyers Amal Ranasinghe and Nandika Amarasinghe appeared for the accused who had not retained a counsel.

Referring to the recent sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on top Sri Lankan military officials, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who played a significant role in the country’s civil war, stated that the sanction against former Army Commander Shavendra Silva was unreasonable.

Sri Lanka has experienced a significant surge in HIV/AIDS cases in 2024 recording over 800 cases. According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 824 cases reflecting a 18 per cent increase compared to the year 2023, which saw 694 cases.

A direct flight service between Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna in Sri Lanka commenced today after 47 years. Due to the war situation, flight services at the Palaly International Airport, Jaffna were suspended, but in 2019, the airport resumed its services. Passenger flights between Chennai and Jaffna started after the reopening of the airport.

In a swift response to an urgent appeal, the Court of Appeal today issued an interim order suspending the decision made by the Puttalam High Court Judge to remand a lady lawyer over an alleged contemptuous conduct.

Former Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has arrived at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to record a statement. According to reports, the former minister arrived at the CID to record a statement regarding the shooting incident in front of a prominent hotel in Weligama in 2023.

The draft bill for the government’s recovery of assets acquired through illegal means, the Proceeds of Crime Bill, will be presented to Parliament on 08 April 2025, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Addressing a public meeting in the Welipitiya area in Matara, President Dissanayake said that frauds and the corrupt will not be allowed to rule the country again.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated that efforts are underway to reveal those responsible for the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks before April 21.

The government is considering repurposing a number of ministerial bungalows, including offering some to diplomatic missions, Lankadeepa newspaper reported.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra are expected to travel to Thailand later this week to attend the sixth BIMSTEC Summit, The Sunday Times newspaper reports.

Former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has been summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record a statement regarding the death of a police sergeant from the Colombo Crimes Division during a shooting incident near a hotel in Weligama, Matara in 2023.

Kuwait has deported 20 convicted Sri Lankan prisoners under an extradition agreement between the two countries, according to media reports. The inmates, held at Kuwait's Central Prison, were repatriated on Wednesday to Katunayake Airport on a special flight to Sri Lanka, reported the Sri Lankan Daily News.

A suspect has been arrested over the assault on a senior consultant Oral and Maxillofacial (OMF) surgeon at the General Hospital (Teaching) Kegalle. The consultant was brutally assaulted within the hospital premises on March 28.

A number of MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) related to defence, energy connectivity and digitization will be signed during the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka, an official said yesterday.

Two Supreme Court judges have recused themselves from hearing an appeal filed relating to former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda.

The Examinations Department announced that they have not issued any official statement regarding the release of the results of the 2024 G.C.E. (A/L) Examination which were held from November 25 to December 31, 2024. Examinations Commissioner General H.J.M.C. Amit Jayasundara urged the public not to be misled by news circulating in various print and social media.

The National People’s Power (NPP), the ruling party of Sri Lanka, filed three separate writ petitions challenging the rejection of their nomination papers submitted for the Mawanella Pradeshiya Sabha, Medawachchiya Pradeshiya Sabha, and Damana Pradeshiya Sabha for the Local Authorities Election 2025.

Two individuals, including a Police Constable, have been arrested for aiding suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon to evade arrest.

A strong 8.2 magnitude earthquake has hit Myanmar and Thailand, with a state of emergency declared and fears of mass casualties after tremors shook high-rise buildings and destroyed apartment blocks.

The third chairman of an institution under the purview of Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayaka has resigned. Accordingly, the Chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC), Dileepa Vitarana, has stepped down from his position. It is reported that he has submitted the relevant resignation letter to the Transport Ministry.

Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will undertake a State visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism said. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is set to hold bilateral talks with President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.