A Sri Lankan court today sentenced an accused to life imprisonment for the assassination of the Head of the Colombo-Dehiwala Police Intelligence Unit Inspector Sunil Thabrew in 2003.
After a lengthy trial, Colombo High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe announcing the ruling said the three charges filed against the accused by the Attorney General have been proved without a reasonable doubt.
The accused, a suspected LTTE member Sellathurai Kirubakaran is a resident of Kilinochchi. He was charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of killing Inspector Thabrew inside the Dehiwala police barracks on July 23, 2003.
It was reported at the time that suspect followed the police officer when he returned to his barracks after visiting the Dehiwala police station and shot him. He reportedly took a cyanide pill, the trademark of the LTTE, when he was caught while escaping in a three-wheeler.
The counsel representing the accused requested the court to be lenient on his sentence since he was in remand for nearly 15 years.
Taking into consideration of the facts, the Judge sentenced him to life in rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000. If the fine is not paid, one month’s imprisonment will be imposed.
