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Rishad further remanded; wife and father-in-law granted bail

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MP Rishad Bathiudeen has been further remanded until October 01 in connection with the death of a teenage domestic worker who was serving at his residence.

Meanwhile, the parliamentarian’s wife and father-in-law have been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, when the case was taken up on Sept. 17..

On July 15, the 16-year-old girl, who was serving as domestic help at the Bathiudeen residence, succumbed to severe burn injuries while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. She had been under medical care for 12 days since her admission to the hospital on July 03.

Jude Kumar Ishalini, who was residing in the Dayagama area, had been 15 years of age when she was brought to the parliamentarian’s residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha for domestic work last October.

The judicial medical officer who conducted the post-mortem on the girl’s death concluded that she had been sexually exploited.

Thereby, the former minister’s wife, father-in-law, and the middleman in question were taken into custody on July 23 based on the testimonies recorded from nearly 20 individuals, autopsy results, and the evidence gathered by the investigating officers which pointed to the fact that the deceased girl was subjected to abuse.

In addition, the 44-year-old brother-in-law of MP Bathiudeen was also taken into custody and produced before the Judicial Medical Officer for allegedly sexually abusing a young woman who worked as a domestic helper at the lawmaker’s official residence from 2015 to 2019.

Her remains were exhumed on July 30 for a second postmortem by a court-appointed specialist medical team.

On August 23, MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who is currently under remand custody over a different case, was named the fifth suspect of the case.

Bathiudeen’s brother-in-law Mohamed Ismat and Ponnaiya Pandaram, the intermediary who had brought the girl to the Bathiudeen residence, were released on bail last week.

The former minister and his brother were taken into custody on April 24, under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), for allegedly aiding and abetting the suicide bombers who perpetrated the deadly bombings on April 21, 2019.



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Preventing road accidents should be approached not merely as a legal obligation but as a personal responsibility to save lives – PM

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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that preventing road accidents should be approached not merely as a legal obligation but as a personal responsibility to save lives while efforts must be undertaken with awareness and dedication, not just adherence to rules and regulations.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the inauguration ceremony of the awareness program held at Royal College, Colombo on road safety titled ’Take Care – Let’s Be Safe on the Road,’ organized jointly by the Clean Sri Lanka Program, the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, and the Sri Lanka Police.

Police officers should conduct awareness sessions on road accident prevention for schoolchildren and distribution of equipment necessary for school transport safety to 25 selected schools across 25 districts was taken place under the patronage of the Prime Minister.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister stated:

“This is another significant initiative under the Clean Sri Lanka Project. Road accidents have become a major national crisis. The tragic reality is that most of these incidents are preventable if we have the will and dedication.

About seven people die every day due to road accidents. We must stop this tragedy. Every deceased, disabled, or injured victim of road accidents is a citizen of this country. They are someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, or child. When someone becomes a victim, the whole society is affected. The statistics on accidents are not just numbers—they carry deep stories and pain.

Preventing road accidents is not only about obeying laws. It’s about thinking of others, acting with empathy, and treating the preservation of life as our own duty. We need to build a society that functions with compassion and responsibility. That is the kind of beautiful country the government is striving to create.

It is important that education must come before punishment, setting an example must precede enforcement of the law, cautious before precede accusations. Parents must set a good example, drivers must be committed to saving lives, children must be given a clear understanding of traffic rules while the police must prioritize public education before enforcing laws.”

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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President scheduled to attend a meeting with representatives of Germany’s Tourism and Travel Industry Associations and Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce today

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake who is on an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, is scheduled to attend a meeting with representatives of Germany’s Tourism and Travel Industry Associations at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Berlin today (13).

Following this engagement, the President will participate in a Business Forum organised by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), to be held at its headquarters in Berlin.

President Disanayake is also expected to hold bilateral discussions this afternoon with Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms Reem Alabali-Radovan, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

In the afternoon, the President is further scheduled to meet with members of the Sri Lankan community residing in Germany.

Accompanying the President on this official visit are Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and a delegation of senior government officials, all of whom will participate in these engagements.

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Former Army Commander General Hamilton Wanasinghe passes away at the age of 91

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It has been reported that, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, General Hamilton Wanasinghe has passed away at the age of 91.

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