Ex-DIG Anura Senanayake indicted for concealing evidence of Thajudeen’s killing

By T. Farook Thajudeen

The Colombo High Court yesterday served indictment on former Senior DIG Anura Senanayake for concealing the evidence of the murder of Havelock Sport Club rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.

Senanayake was released on Rs. 1 million cash bail with two sureties of Rs. 2 million on each surety by the High Court.  He was also banned from foreign travel and his passport impounded.

He was also sternly warned by Judge Vickum Kaluarachchi not to interfere with the prosecution and witnesses. The case will be taken up for trial on 23 October.

The court also issued summons to six prosecution witnesses, including former Narahenpita OIC Sumith Champika Perera, to appear before court on 23 October to give evidence.

Senanayake is accused of having screened evidence pertaining to the Thajudeen case, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed and providing false information concealing the offender from legal punishment. The Attorney General indicted the former Senior DIG under Section 198 of the Penal Code.

The Attorney General had named 24 witnesses including Wasim Thajudeen’s sister Fathima Thajudeen and Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer Prof. Ajith Tennakoon as witnesses in the case.

During the magisterial inquiry, former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera and former Colombo Chief Medical Officer Prof. Ananda Samarasekara were also named as suspects in the case. They too were alleged to have covered up evidence of Thajudeen’s murder.

Thajudeen’s corpse was found inside his burnt car by the parapet wall of Shalika Grounds in Narahenpita on 12 May 2012. In the beginning of investigations it was ruled an accident but it was later revealed that the death was due to murder.

DIG Senanayake was arrested over the murder and was released on bail after serving a year in remand custody.