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Church grenade suspect doctor granted bail 

22 Mar 2022

  • Colombo HC grants Rs. 100,000 cash bail, Rs. 5 mn sureties 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera  The suspect doctor who was remanded in connection with the incident of a hand grenade being found in the All Saints’ Church in Borella, retired Dr. Shirley Herath, was released on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and two sureties of Rs. 2.5 million each by the Colombo High Court (CHC) yesterday (21). After considering the bail application filed by the suspect in court, CHC Judge Manjula Tilakaratne released the suspect on bail. The CHC also issued an injunction restraining the suspect from travelling abroad and directed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to inform the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration in that regard. The State Counsel who appeared in court on behalf of the Attorney General (AG) informed the court that the AG had no objection to granting bail to the suspect. Announcing the decision, Judge Tilakaratne said that the suspect had made a bail application to the CHC as the prosecution had decided not to proceed with the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) against the suspect. Earlier, the three suspects – Dr. Herath, Liyanage Dayasena, and Ruwansiri Premachandra – who were remanded in connection with the said incident, were ordered to be remanded until 29 March by Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on 14 March. The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), which produced the suspects before court, informed the court that action would be taken against the suspects under the Offensive Weapons Act and Sections 113(b) (punishment for conspiracy) and 300 (attempted murder) of the Penal Code. The CCD further requested the court to remand the suspects until the investigations into the incident are concluded. A hand grenade was found in the premises of the All Saints’ Church on Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha opposite the Welikada Prison in Borella at around 4.40 p.m. on 11 January 2022. The hand grenade was discovered following a tip-off received by the Police and it was later defused by the Police Special Task Force. Meanwhile, State Counsel Hansa Abeyrathne told the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court on 28 February that the AG had decided not to act in accordance with the PTA against the said three suspects, including Dr. Herath.


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