The Presidential Secretariat has organised a series of events to mark this year’s Vesak festival under the patronage of the Presidential Secretariat.

A Bakthi Ghee recital will be held from 12th to 16th May in the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat. The concert will feature performances by school children, members of the tri-forces and Civil Security Department personnel, as well as popular vocal artists.

Additionally, the Presidential Secretariat in collaboration with the armed forces has made arrangements to operate a rice dansal on 12th and 13th May, and refreshment stalls from 12th to 16th May in the area surrounding the Presidential Secretariat.

Coinciding with the Gangarama Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone and Buddhaloka Vesak Zone celebrations, numerous programmes have been organised including the illumination of buildings and streets with decorative lighting around the Secretariat premises, along with exhibitions of traditional Vesak lanterns.

The Presidential Secretariat extends an open invitation to the public to  experience the splendour of the celebrations.

Suicide of sexually abused student:

Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin has called for an investigation into a complaint that a group of teachers at a girls’ school in Colombo have been collecting signatures from parents for a petition in defence of a teacher accused of having sexually abused a 16-year-old student, who committed suicide subsequently.

Speaking to The Island yesterday (11), Stalin said the teachers’ actions appear to have been an attempt to protect the accused, who had been released on bail. He questioned the motive behind defending someone implicated in such a serious crime.

“It is deeply concerning that these teachers would go to such lengths to support a suspect in a grave criminal matter,” Stalin said. He further urged that authorities investigate the circulation of WhatsApp messages among teachers, which he claims may have been used to spread misinformation about the incident.

The 16-year-old student, who was a resident of a housing complex in Galpotta Road, Kotahena, plunged to her death from the sixth floor of her apartment building on April 29. Police later revealed that the student had allegedly been sexually harassed by a teacher at her school in Bambalapitiya.

Her parents held a press conference on May 4, accusing both the schoolteacher and a private tuition teacher for having driven the victim to suicide.

On May 8, protests were held at three locations in Colombo – near the housing complex in Kotahena, outside the school in Bambalapitiya, and close to the private tuition centre, demanding justice.

The police have confirmed that the suspect teacher had been released on bail but is currently banned from travelling abroad. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has stated that the teacher has been sent on compulsory leave pending investigations.

by Chaminda Silva and Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon

Twenty-one passengers were killed and 35 others were injured in a tragic road accident in the early hours of yesterday. An SLTB bus plunged into a 100-foot precipice near the famous Gerandi Ella waterfall in Ramboda.

According to a survivor, the bus was descending the Ramboda Pass at a high speed when the driver suddenly applied brakes. “The bus veered off to the left and plunged into the ravine,” the survivor told the media. “People were screaming. It was pitch dark — we couldn’t see anything.”

The passenger, who narrowly escaped, said the bus had rolled over several times before coming to a halt. He said he had managed to crawl out of the bus and rescue about seven or eight others who were trapped inside. “Many children were injured. We got them out first and lifted them up from the precipice,” he said, adding that villagers had soon arrived to rescue others.

The accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. The bus was on its way to Kurunegala from Kataragama via Nuwara Eliya. There had been about 75 passengers on board, many of whom were returning home for the Vesak holidays, police said.

Among the deceased is the 38-year-old driver of the bus, Kalum Chandana. All passengers sustained injuries. The victims were rushed to the Kotmale Hospital, while the seriously injured were later transferred to Peradeniya, Nuwara Eliya, Gampola, and Nawalapitiya hospitals. Rescue operations were particularly harrowing. One mother and her child remained trapped under the bus until noon. A crane had to be brought in to lift the vehicle. The delay in reaching the injured is believed to have contributed to several deaths, according to hospital sources.

The force of the crash left several bodies trapped beneath the wreckage, and some passengers — including those seated in front — managed to jump out and escape as the bus began to fall. However, many others were asleep and were unable to react in time.

The Kotmale Police are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash, which is suspected to have been triggered by a mechanical failure while the bus was travelling at excessive speed.

by Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu