News
Bathiudeen named suspect in Ishalini’s death from mysterious burn injuries
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.
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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