The North Central Provincial High Court in Anuradhapura on Friday (26) sentenced to life imprisonment five Police officers including the Bharathipuram Police station OIC over the murder of eight unarmed Tamil civilians of the Bharathipuram village in Kantale about 26 years ago.
The Attorney General had indicted seven Police officers in connection with the killing of these civilians which took place on or about January 31, 1998 and two of the accused were acquitted by Court on Friday (26) .
Those civilians had been killed by an armed group by shooting at them after they were taken into the Bharathipuram Police station and the Police officers were accused of being the members of an unlawful assembly with the intention of committing a murder.
The Police officers who were sentenced to life imprisonment include the OIC IP Ranaraja Bandara, Sub Inspector G.L.Somaratne and Sergeants Chandraratne Bandara, Nihal Prematilake and Somaratne Bandara Mediwela.
Initially, the AG had indicted the seven accused in the Trincomalee High Court and later the case was transferred to Anuradhapura High Court considering the safety of the accused due to the terrorist activities that took place in the area.
Meanwhile, the OIC of the Bharathipuram Police station had collapsed in Court due to a heart attack when the judgement was delivered by High Court Judge Manoj Thalgodapitiya on Friday. Later, he was admitted to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital under the supervision of Prison and Court officers.
Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Thennakoon appeared for the AG while a group of lawyers including attorney Chandani Hatangala appeared for the accused.
Upali Ananda