Ratwatte, his sons, still suspects in massacre

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 June 2002, 20:01 GMT]
Seven more suspects in the Udathalawinne massacre case were released Friday by the Teldeniya Magistrate as no evidence was produced against them. However, the former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudha Ratwatte and his two sons and eight others are still in the list of suspects in the case.

In the Udathalawinne massacre, gunmen killed ten Muslim youths on the day of general elections in December last year.

When the case came up for hearing before the Teldeniya Magistrate, Ms. Inoka Ranasinghe, the State Counsel Mr. Achala Vengapuli made an application to court for the release of seven suspects who had been in remand since their arrest, as there was no evidence against them.

The Magistrate released the said seven suspects. The Magistrate ordered that ten other suspects including Lohan Ratwatte and Chanuka Ratwatte, the two sons of General Anurudha Ratwatte, be further remanded till June 17.

The key suspect, General Anurudha Ratwatte, who is on bail, appeared in court Friday.