The Balapitiya High Court has sentenced two men to death for the fatal shooting of a man more than a decade ago, in a judgment that has drawn renewed public attention to long-running criminal cases and the pace of justice in Sri Lanka.
Presiding Judge Ruchira Weliwatte delivered the sentence on February 17 after an extensive trial, concluding that the accused were responsible for the killing of a resident of Hangarawatte, Matiwala, on or about December 24, 2014. The court’s decision followed lengthy hearings and was detailed in a forty-six-page judgment issued under the country’s Penal Code. The prosecution was led by State Counsel Senuri Gunathilaka, who presented the case against the defendants.
The two convicted men, both residents of the same locality within the Meetiyagoda police division, were found guilty of carrying out the shooting that resulted in the victim’s death, bringing to a close a case that had remained before the courts for twelve years.
Meanwhile, in a separate development highlighting continuing concerns over unresolved crimes, relatives of a teenage girl who was raped and murdered in 2016 have written to the President, stating that justice has yet to be served even after ten years. The family says that despite the passage of time, suspects have not been arrested and court proceedings have repeatedly been delayed.
The victim, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, was killed while alone at her home in the Ukkulankulam area of Bandarikulam in Vavuniya. According to the letter sent by her relatives, the case remains pending, with repeated adjournments preventing closure for the family.
The contrasting trajectories of the two cases have intensified discussion across the country about the effectiveness of investigations, judicial delays, and the emotional toll on victims’ families awaiting accountability. Legal observers note that while the Balapitiya verdict demonstrates the courts’ willingness to deliver severe punishment after due process, unresolved cases such as the Vavuniya killing underscore persistent challenges in ensuring timely justice.
