03 persons arrested and indicted in connection with the assassination attempt on the former Pakistani High Commissioner in 2006, were acquitted and released by the Colombo High Court today (Nov. 10).
While handing out a judgment against the three accused Kanagaraja Adithyan alias Ranjan, Yogaraja Niroshan Dickwella and a trishaw driver Subramaniam Chethiyaraja, High Court Judge Mahesh Weeraman observed that the prosecutors have failed to prove the accused are guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The suspects were arrested on charges of conspiring, aiding and abetting to commit this offence and providing a trishaw to carry out a claymore bomb blast targeting the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohamed at Kollupitiya on August 14, 2006 and ad been charged under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorist Act (PTA).
On August 14, 2006 a convoy carrying the Pakistani High Commissioner, was attacked with a claymore mine. Although the High Commissioner escaped unhurt, seven people including four Army commandoes were killed and several persons were injured in the blast.