Bandarawela Magistrate Anthony S. Peter Paul on 30 April, released the two motorcars involved at the Fox Hill Supercross 2024 tragedy, on two bonds of Rs. 5 million each and advised the two drivers, who were part of the horrific crash, to appear before him, only when noticed.

These developments took place, when the case linked to the Fox Hill calamity, which claimed the lives of seven individuals, including an eight-year-old girl while injuring 23 others, on 21 April, was called up before the said Court.

The two drivers were identified as 36-year-old Ranjith Uduwita, a resident of Matara, who had competed under event No 5 and 47-year-old A. M. Dilan Sanjeewa, a resident of Peradeniya, who had competed under event No 196, at the races.

When the case was taken up, Attorney-at-Law Parinda Weerasinghe, appearing for the two drivers, told the Magistrate that his clients had not committed any crime, as per laws and regulations, governing a Super Cross.

He said his clients had taken part at the event, in a highly competitive frame of mind and that they were not intent on committing any act of crime.

Diyathalawa Police prosecuting informed the Court, that their probe into the calamity- the worst in the annals of the motor racing arena here, has still not concluded and that they were conducting it in a transparent and expeditious manner.

They added that the blood samples of the two drivers have already been sent to the Government Analyst (GA), to determine sans doubt, whether they had consumed any drugs, before the races, had been flagged off.

The Court afterwards ordered the evidence into the Magisterial Inquest, into the deaths at the races, to be heard on 14 May.    

The well-known event was jointly organised by the Military Academy Diyathalawa, affiliated to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS).

The incident had taken place, after the cars driven by the two drivers, in the Ford Laser Mazda engine capacity 1500 CC category, had crashed into each other, with one of the vehicles then veering off and ploughing into spectators.