P. PADMAN SURASENA J

On 21-04-2019, seven incidents of suicide bomb explosions occurred in seven different places of this country. These explosions claimed the lives of 268 people and caused injuries to 586 people. The Victims were those gathered at three churches namely: St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade, Colombo; St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya in Negombo; Zion Church, Batticaloa, as well as those gathered at four hotels namely: Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo; Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo; Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo; and New Tropical Inn, Dehiwala.

In relation to the above suicide explosions, the Accused-Respondent who held office as the Inspector General of Police, stood indicted before High Court-at-Bar under 855 counts. The charges in these 855 counts could be categorized and tabulated in the following manner:

The High Court-at-Bar on 22-11-2021 had read out charges to the Accused-Respondent and he had pleaded not guilty to each count upon which the High Court-at-Bar had commenced the trial against him.

The Prosecuting Counsel had made the opening address in terms of Section 199 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979 as amended (hereinafter sometimes referred to a