By: Isuru Parakrama
October 17, Colombo (LNW): Following a prolonged legal battle, the Galle High Court has delivered a death sentence in a homicide case dating back over two decades.
The accused, a 50-year-old resident of Imaduwa, was convicted for the deliberate killing of a man by electrocution on 6 February 2000, using an unauthorised electricity connection in the Koratuhenagoda area.
The court found that the defendant had intentionally set up the illegal connection, leading to the death of the victim, an action which was part of a premeditated plan.
The incident, which occurred within the jurisdiction of the Imaduwa police division, has been the subject of a lengthy judicial process, marked by extensive investigation and deliberation over the years.
The verdict was delivered on 16 October, with the High Court handing down the death penalty, bringing closure to a case that had remained unresolved for nearly 24 years.
This decision reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the crime, particularly in light of the unlawful use of electricity as a method of murder.
The death penalty, although still legally permitted, is a subject of ongoing debate in Sri Lanka, with human rights advocates calling for its abolition.
Nevertheless, the court’s ruling reaffirms that severe punishment remains an option for cases deemed particularly heinous.
