Matale Dirstrict SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna yesterday tabled a list in Parliament naming 1,300 members, leaders, trade unionists, and activists of the UNP, who were allegedly assassinated by the JVP. The list was submitted during a parliamentary session as part of the government’s ongoing effort to document victims of political violence.

Along with the names of the victims, MP Wijerathna also introduced over 900 family members of the alleged victims, providing further context to the extent of the violence.

Speaking during the session, MP Wijerathna stated, “Child soldiers were recruited by the JVP even before the LTTE. ‘Kantale Bonikki,’ a 13-year-old child was used to murder a 70-year-old female UNP supporter.” She accused the JVP of using children to kill numerous UNP members during the JVP’s second insurgency.

The MP said that names not included in the current list would be submitted during the upcoming “Batalanda Debate” in April.

MP Wijerathna invited the public, via her Facebook page to submit further details on family members affected by political violence to ensure their inclusion in the extended record.

Deputy Labour Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe yesterday informed Parliament that a CID probe had been called into land deals involving former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa in Gampaha.

Jayasinghe said a request has been made by the Acting IGP in that regard.

The Deputy Minister said the lands in the Imbulgoda and Makola had been purchased in 2012 and sold in 2023.

He told Parliament that a plot of land purchased in Ihala Imbulgoda in 2012 under the Mahinda Rajapaksa Spiritual Foundation for Rs. 500,000 has been sold for Rs. 10 million, adding that the owner of the land is one Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa of Carlton House, Tangalle.

Jayasinghe said that another plot of land in Makola that was purchased for Rs. 01 million has been sold for Rs. 12 million, of which the owner was Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa of Carlton House, Tangalle. Inquiries into the land deals have revealed that the deeds had been drawn up and signed at Temple Trees and had been transferred in 2023 to a person residing in Nugegoda.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe has appointed a special investigation committee to probe the cause of a crash involving a K-8 trainer jet earlier yesterday. The aircraft, used for advanced pilot training, crashed in the Wariyapola area of Kurunegala during a routine training exercise.

The K-8 aircraft, which is assigned to the No. 05 Fighter Squadron at the SLAF Base in Katunayake, took off at approximately 07:27 AM from the base. However, it lost radar contact and crashed around 07:55 AM in a coconut plantation in Minuwangate, Wariyapola.

The two pilots, aboard the aircraft, Chief Training Instructor Pilot Sudarshan Bandara and Trainee Pilot Dawulagala, managed to eject from the aircraft using parachutes, descending safely to the ground without any injuries. They landed near Minuwangate College in Padeniya, Kurunegala, and were promptly rescued by local residents. The pilots were then transported to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, where they are receiving treatment.

The aircraft, a K-8 jet manufactured in China, was destroyed upon impact with the ground and caught fire. Firefighters, along with the Wariyapola Police, responded to the scene, working to extinguish the burning crashed aircraft.

The Sri Lanka Air Force has taken immediate steps to investigate the incident. A seven-member Special Investigation Committee has been assigned to determine the cause of the crash. Additionally, security has been deployed at the crash site, and the Air Force has confirmed that the aircraft’s black box is being recovered to aid in the investigation.

Although the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, investigations have already revealed that two other SLAF aircraft, which were also made in China, crashed and were destroyed over the past three years. The Air Force is continuing to examine all factors that may have contributed to the crash.

By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu