Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 07 others have been further remanded until May 20 by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court over the import of substandard human immunoglobulin vials.

Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers And Riders (SLARDAR) has decided not to participate in any future competition organized by the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), reports say.

The decision follows the SLAS’ failure to back the racing drivers at the tragic Fox Hill Supercross accident last month.

The crash occurred shortly after another car overturned on the track, leading to another car veering off and hitting spectators along the unguarded trackside. The incident led to the deaths of 07 persons while injuring 23 more.

The racing drivers were arrested while being hospitalised and were subsequently produced before courts and remanded.

Lawyers appearing before the drivers had pointed out that provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act or the Criminal Procedure Code do not apply to motor vehicle competitions and when the case was taken up again the Bandarawela Magistrate had warned the Diyatalawa Police over treating the motor race accident as a mere road mishap when preparing the charge sheet. The drivers were subsequently granted bail.

It is reported that the Diyatalawa police had acted in this manner over influence from higher authorities to cover up the mistake of the organizers.

Although the Sri Lanka Army had appointed a 7-member committee to investigate the incident while the SLAS too appointed a three-member independent board of inquiry to investigate the tragedy, the reports are yet to be received.

A man who was arrested over holding two children hostage yesterday (March 05), has been remanded until May 17, reports say.

The children were rescued by the STF after a nine-hour operation.

The suspect had come with a hand grenade to kill his wife who was living at the Government Servants Housing Complex in Jalthara last evening and took the children hostage.

The two children had been admitted to the Homagama Hospital as the suspect had injected them with something.