By Roger Srivasan
Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peris is not a man given to theatrics, hyperbole, or grandstanding. He has earned a reputation as a formidable prosecutor whose stock-in-trade is meticulous preparation, intellectual rigour, and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice. When such a man speaks in measured yet uncompromising terms, his observations invariably command attention.
His recent remarks amounted to a devastating indictment of those alleged to have played a role in one of the darkest and most flagitious episodes in the nation’s history. The callous disregard for innocent human life in the pursuit of power remains a stain upon the national conscience.
Equally striking was the account of the ailments now purportedly afflicting certain individuals. The catalogue of illnesses being reeled off stretches the elastic of credulity to breaking point. To many observers, the narrative leaves much to be desired and raises more questions than it answers.
Yet history teaches us enduring lessons. As the old maxim reminds us, those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind. Actions have consequences, and consequences have a habit of arriving with relentless certainty.
Another timeless aphorism is equally apposite: the mills of justice grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly fine. Justice may be delayed by manoeuvre, obfuscation, or the passage of time, but its patient machinery continues to turn. The reckoning long deferred is not necessarily the reckoning escaped.
If the allegations ultimately withstand scrutiny and are proven before the courts, it would serve as a sobering reminder that no amount of legerdemain, no carefully cultivated narrative, and no appeal to public sympathy can indefinitely shield individuals from accountability under the rule of law.
For while those who sow the wind may indeed reap the whirlwind, the mills of justice continue their patient work—grinding slowly, yet exceedingly fine.
