Madhuranga hasn't learned his lesson - Caught after jumping naked into a house in Galnewa while on bail for raping a doctor

Recently, a series of CCTV footage showing an individual secretly entering a house in the Galnewa area at night through a bathroom window, wearing clothes found there, behaving indecently, and then exiting through the main door of the house, came to the attention of the authorities. The suspect related to this incident was arrested by Galnewa Police on the night of the 6th on charges of unlawful entry into a house and indecent behavior. After being produced before the Kekirawa Magistrate's Court, he was ordered to be remanded until the upcoming 20th.

However, police investigations revealed that this 35-year-old suspect, known by the alias 'Bunty', is not an ordinary criminal. Police have confirmed that he is K.B. Maduranga Ratnayake, a former army soldier residing in D Three Ela Road, New Town, Galnewa, and the main suspect in the controversial incident of severely raping a trainee specialist doctor who previously worked at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital.

His legal background, having been accused of numerous crimes in the past, is extremely complex. The Chief Magistrate had previously ordered his release on strict bail conditions after he was remanded for nearly seven months in connection with the main incident of raping the said doctor. However, even after more than three months, he was unable to fulfill those bail conditions. Furthermore, as there was another serious charge against him for possessing a live hand grenade, the suspect had to be remanded again on the very day bail was granted. The court has also issued a prohibitory order against him, preventing him from traveling abroad.

On February 23rd, Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Mr. Siyapath Sasindu Wickramarathne sentenced this former soldier to six months of compulsory imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1500. This sentence was imposed solely because he pleaded guilty in court to the charge of snatching the doctor's smartphone. His sister, Shalika Harshani Ratnayake, and H.K. Mithila Sampath Kumarasinghe, who pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in concealing the said phone, were also sentenced to six months imprisonment each, but the Chief Magistrate ordered the suspension of these sentences for two years and imposed a fine of Rs. 1500 each.

During the identification parade held in connection with the serious sexual assault charge, the victim doctor easily identified the suspect, and the police had also arranged for a DNA test to be conducted on the suspect and for the relevant medical reports to be submitted to the court.

It is noteworthy that no lawyer appeared for the defendant, who had been remanded for seven months in this main case. A lawyer appeared before the court on behalf of the aggrieved doctor's rights, under the instructions of President's Counsel Kalinga Indratissa, while the prosecution was led by Sub-Inspector A.C. Dayananda, under the instructions of Chief Police Inspector Nishani Senavirathne, the OIC of the Children and Women's Bureau at Anuradhapura Headquarters Police.

The Sub-Inspector has reported to the court that the records of these extensive investigations conducted by the police have now been forwarded to the Attorney General. Accordingly, the Attorney General is expected to file indictments against the suspect in the Anuradhapura High Court in the future regarding the main incident of raping the doctor.

Even while awaiting serious indictments in the High Court, with this latest incident of unlawfully entering a house in Galnewa and behaving indecently, the criminal behavior of the suspect former army soldier has once again drawn significant attention from both society and the law. Galnewa Police are currently conducting further investigations into this new incident.