The Mahawa Magistrate’s Court ordered yesterday (19) that the two suspects arrested in connection with the shooting of the elephant ‘Kavantissa’ be remanded until the 28th of this month.
The suspects Rathnayake Mudiyanselage Lakmal Padmasiri and Shantha Dharmasiri Rathnayake who were arrested by the Walana Anti-Corruption Unit, were produced before the Mahawa Magistrate’s Court yesterday by wildlife officials. After considering the submissions made by both the wildlife officials and the lawyers representing the suspects, Magistrate Anuradha Seneviratne ordered that the suspects be remanded until the 28th.
The Magistrate questioned the wildlife officials as to whether there were any eyewitnesses to the shooting of the elephant ‘Kavantissa’. The Magistrate ordered the wildlife officers to present to the court, on the 28th of this month, all specific details regarding any such evidence, as well as the grounds for the arrest of these suspects.
The Magistrate further instructed the wildlife officers to submit a detailed report at the next hearing, specifically outlining how the suspects were involved in the crime, including the exact date of the incident.
The two suspects, who had been arrested by the Walana Anti-Corruption Unit, were handed over to wildlife officials and subsequently produced before the Maho Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon. The wildlife officers have initiated separate legal cases against each of the suspects.