Undergrad’s killing: 3 sentenced to death

Three accused were sentenced to death when they were found guilty of the murder of a first year medical student of the Peradeniya University on January 5, 1994. Kandy High Court Judge D.S.Lekamwasam pronounced the sentence after they had been indicted of the murder of Prassana Udayajeewa He ordered they be held in Bogambara Jail, until the President informs the date on which they are to be hanged.

The incident drew much interest in the press. In this case three accused namely Kotuwegedera Sriyantha Dharmasena alias Banda, Egodegedera Jayantha Kumarasinghe alias Kiri Putha and Wasantha Banda Ratnayake alias Mangala had been indicted for the murder. All accused were on bail till sentence was passed on Monday.

Prassana Udayajeewa attended the university only on the opening day and was not seen at the university thereafter. The judge inquired from the accused whether they had anything to say before sentence was passed. The three accused said they were not guilty and that they did not murder Prasanna.

The judge told the accused that their lawyers presented their cases very well, but on evidence he was bound by the rule of the law and was sentencing them to death. According to the evidence led before the High Court Judge on a number of dates, it was revealed that Prasanna was at home that night, reading a book when he was called out, tied with a rope, strangled and dumped into a well close to his home.

In the course of the trial in the High Court, evidence of two highly qualified Judicial Medical Officers - Senior Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Kasinathan Nadesan and the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer De Alwis gave evidence. Both differed in their evidence. Dr.Nadesan who is now abroad came for the case from Australia.

Chilaw Division Senior Superintendent of Police Roshan Fernando who first inquired into this case as Katugastota Police OIC at the time of the murder, gave evidence until the case was handed over to another officer in Kandy. In this case, the first accused was defended by Kithsiri Seneviratne and the second and third accused by attorney-at-law Vernon Gunasekera.

State Counsel Miss Chandima Wijebandara appeared for the Attorney General in the early stages of the case and later State Counsel Wasantha Perera made submissions in court.