Janaka Perera's killers' sentences confirmed

The Supreme Court has decided to affirm the life sentence imposed on a person convicted for the suicide bomb attack that targeted retired Major General Janaka Perera and others in Anuradhapura in 2008. The court issued this order rejecting a special appeal filed by the defendant, Umar Hathap, requesting that the sentence and conviction imposed on him be set aside and not enforced.

This decision was announced by a two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Shiran Gunaratne and Menaka Wijesundara.

This brutal suicide bomb attack occurred in Anuradhapura on October 6, 2008, during the opening ceremony of a United National Party political office. Retired Major General Janaka Perera, his wife, and several other individuals lost their lives in that tragedy.

In relation to this incident, the Attorney General had filed cases against several suspects, and according to the verdict delivered, the Anuradhapura High Court convicted the defendant, Umar Hathap, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal also affirmed the correctness of that High Court decision, and it was after this that the defendant sought relief from the Supreme Court.

However, the Supreme Court, after hearing the special appeal, decided to completely reject it. Accordingly, the Supreme Court has affirmed in its decision that the rulings previously given by the High Court and the Court of Appeal remain valid.