Rishad’s wife and father-in-law to face indictments in domestic’s death 

Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala on Thursday directed the Attorney General’s Department to proceed with indicting the wife and father-in-law of All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader MP Rishad Bathiudeen, as well as the person who employed a minor as a domestic aide. This directive follows the tragic incident from 2021 where the young girl was burned to death while working in a house belonging to Bathiudeen.

Accordingly, the Court instructed the Attorney General to file indictments against Ponnaiya Pandaram, who allegedly provided the girl to be employed as a domestic aide, Ali Ibrahim Kidar Mohammad, identified as Rishad Batiudeen’s father-in-law; and Kidar Mohammad Shihabdeen Aisha, identified as the politician’s wife.

The Colombo South Division Children and Women’s Bureau has filed charges under several charges of cruelty and human trafficking against the three suspects. The magistrate also ordered the release of the fourth suspect, Rishad Bathiudeen and the fifth suspect, Bathiudeen Abdul Rishad, as there was insufficient evidence against the two suspects. In court, it came to light that Ishalini Jude Kumar, the deceased minor from Daygama had also been subjected to sexual assault. 

According to the initial investigation conducted by the Borella Police, the first suspect, Ponnaiya Pandaram, allegedly provided the girl to Rishad Bathiudeen’s residence on Bauddaloka Mawatha in Colombo for employment as a maid. The report to the court said the girl was 15 years old at the time.