Colombo HC sentences eight to death in 1997 double murder case

The Colombo High Court today (08) handed down death sentences to eight accused found guilty of committing murder in a case dating back nearly three decades, it was reported. Delivering judgment after a lengthy trial, High Court Judge Buddhika Sri Ragala ruled that the charges had been proven beyond reasonable doubt. Seven of the accused were present in court, while proceedings against one were conducted in absentia. The Attorney General had filed the case over the killings of a man and a woman, and injuries to several others, in the Tarawatta area under Colombo Court jurisdiction on or around September 21, 1997. The incident stemmed from a prolonged dispute, which escalated into violence. (Newswire)