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Bathiudeen named suspect in Ishalini’s death from mysterious burn injuries

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By A.J.A. Abeynayake and Norman Palihawadane

MP Rishad Bathiudeen was named yesterday as the fifth suspect in the cases filed over the death of 16-year-old Jude Kumar Ishalini, a domestic aide who died of burn injuries while being employed at Bathiudeen’s residence in Colombo.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya, after considering a request made by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, appearing for the Colombo Crimes Division, permitted the AG’s Department to name MP Bathiudeen as the fifth suspect and ordered Prison authorities to present the MP in court on 06 Sept.

The Judge also ordered that three other suspects, including Bathiudeen’s wife Shehabdeen Ayesha, her father Mohammed Shiabdeen and broker Ponnaiah Pandaram alias Shankar who is said to have trafficked the girl for domestic work to be remanded till 06 Sept.

Deputy Solicitor General Peiris informed the court that there was evidence that MP Bathiudeen had attempted to suppress evidence pertaining to the crime.

He said that as per the reports of the second post-mortem by three doctors Ishalini had been subjected to sexual abuse for a long period of time.

The Deputy Solicitor General said that the attempts by the MP and other suspects to suppress evidence created serious doubt that the death of Ishalini could have been a murder.

He said that Borella OIC had made a report quoting the JMO who conducted the first post-mortem that Ishalini as having told him that she set herself on fire and the JMO reported that she had not been sexually abused. These contradictions showed that some officials had attempted to suppress the truth and the report on the first post mortem created serious doubts. The JMO doctor who had made the report to the effect that Ishalini admitted to setting herself on fire had since left the country, the Deputy Solicitor General told the Court adding that a female doctor, nurses and other staff at the hospital had been asking for nearly three hours from Ishalini the cause of fire but the victim had not made a conclusive statement.

The Deputy Solicitor General said that there was a serious doubt whether Ishalini had been burnt using gas at a separate place and later brought to her room.



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Heat Index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 08 May 2026, valid for 09 May 2026

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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SLPP expresses concern over death of former SriLankan CEO

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Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, yesterday raised serious concerns over the death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, questioning whether the incident was a suicide, murder, or a case of being compelled to take his own life.

Addressing the media, Kariyawasam claimed that Chandrasena had recently become a controversial figure after allegedly submitting an affidavit to court detailing threats made against him.

According to Kariyawasam, the affidavit stated that Chandrasena had been taken to the office of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), where he was allegedly threatened by its Director General, Ranga Dissanayake.

Kariyawasam alleged that Chandrasena had claimed he was warned to comply with certain demands or face consequences similar to those experienced by another individual, linked to a case involving former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

He also claimed that Chandrasena’s affidavit referred to alleged attempts to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa in legal proceedings.

Kariyawasam questioned how Chandrasena, who had reportedly been in remand custody, was able to secure two bail guarantors, and called for an immediate investigation into who introduced the guarantors and whether any prison or CIABOC officials had been involved.

He urged the courts to examine CCTV footage and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the provision of the guarantors.

Claiming that public suspicion surrounding the death was growing, Kariyawasam said the incident could not be dismissed as a straightforward suicide.

He alleged that several recent incidents involving complainants and suspects had raised broader concerns over the rule of law and the protection of suspects’ rights in the country.

Calling for an independent investigation, Kariyawasam urged authorities to disclose the truth to the public, stressing that even suspects are entitled to legal safeguards and protections in a democratic society.

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SC orders fresh notice on Gotabaya in compensation case

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The Supreme Court yesterday directed the petitioning party to take steps to reissue notice to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has been named as a respondent in a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition.

The petition had been filed seeking an order to recover compensation funds allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers and Members of Parliament whose houses were set on fire or damaged during the countrywide violence that erupted following the purported attack on the “Aragalaya” protest site on May 9, 2022.

The Supreme Court issued this order during the hearing of the Fundamental Rights petition, which was filed seeking a declaration that the payment of such compensation was unlawful.

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