The Colombo High Court has ordered the release on bail of two individuals detained for nearly two decades in connection with a 2006 suicide attack on former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, though they remain in custody pending fulfillment of bail conditions.
The Colombo High Court has granted bail to Shanmugalingam Suriyakumar and Thambaiyah Prakash, who have spent approximately 17 years in remand custody following a devastating suicide bombing near Army Headquarters on April 25, 2006. The two men, alleged to be former LTTE members, were ordered released on a cash bail of Rs. 200,000 along with four personal sureties valued at Rs. 5 million each. However, they remain in custody as they have been unable to meet these bail conditions.
The April 2006 attack, carried out by a female suicide bomber identified as "Durga," resulted in serious injuries to then Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and claimed multiple lives, including military personnel and civilians. The court's decision to grant bail came following an application to the Court of Appeal and took into account the exceptionally prolonged period of detention during ongoing legal proceedings. According to court records, the maximum potential sentence for the charges amounts to 20 years imprisonment.
As conditions for their release, the two accused have been directed to report to the Terrorism Investigation Division on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, and their passports have been surrendered to the court. The Attorney General has filed a total of 230 charges against the pair in connection with this case. Beyond the Army Headquarters bombing charges, the two individuals face separate legal proceedings related to an alleged assassination attempt on former President Maithripala Sirisena and involvement in the assassination of former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.
