Bail applications by Bathiudeen’s wife, father-in-law, brother-in -law and broker rejected 

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday rejected a bail application filed by the wife of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, his father-in-law, brother-in-law and a broker.

The Court ordered that Bathiudeen’s wife, K. Mohammed Shabdeen Aisha, father-in-law, Mohammed Shabdeen, brother-in-law, Shabdeen Ismeth and a broker, Ponniah Bandaram alias Shankar, who had trafficked the girl for domestic work be further remanded till Aug 23.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya gave the order after considering the objections raised by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris to the bail application on the grounds that the suspects might exert t influence on the witnesses if they were enlarged on bail.

The wife of MP Bathiudeen, his father-in-law and brother-in-law were arrested on 23 July over two incidents of alleged rape and sexual abuse.

The Police said that the wife and father-in-law of the MP and a broker had been arrested over the death of 16-year-old Jude Kumar Ishalini. The victim died while being employed at the residence of Bathiudeen in Colombo. The broker had introduced the child to the family.

A 22-year-old woman, one of the 11 women who served as domestic aides of Bathiudeens, has alleged that she was raped while serving at the official residence of then Minister Bathiudeen from 2015 to 2019.

The 44-year-old brother-in-law of MP Bathiudeen was identified as the suspect and arrested.

On 26 July, the Magistrate’s Court ordered all four suspects to be placed in remand custody until yesterday.

Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris informed the court that the prosecution suspected that the death of Ishalini was not suicide but murder.