Devananda case: Bailable warrant against investigating officer

Taking a serious view of the prosecution's submissions that the police were not cooperating in the trial on an over-three-decade-old murder case, in which a former Sri Lankan minister was an accused, a sessions court here today issued a bailable warrant against the investigating officer.
The police have named former Sri Lankan minister Douglas Devananda as the third accused in the chargesheet in the case relating to a shootout at Choolaimedu here on November 1, 1986, in which a person was killed.
Nine others have also been named as accused in the chargesheet.
All the accused in the case were arrested, but they absconded after being released on bail.

A non-bailable warrant was subsequently issued against Douglas, who later became a minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and moved courts for cancellation of the warrant.
The prosecution later obtained the court's permission to split the case and proceed against Douglas as the other accused remained absconding.

As per the orders of the Madras High Court, Douglas, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the trial court, appeared before it via video-conferencing through the Indian High Commission's office in Sri Lanka for the trial, which commenced in 2016.
Contending that he was not connected with the killing, Douglas has sought to be acquitted of the murder charge.

Additional Public Prosecutor Prabhavathy told the court today that the police were not cooperating in the case as far as the production of prosecution witnesses for the purpose of cross-examination was concerned.
She also said materials recovered during the probe were not submitted in the court.
Sessions Judge M Shanthi then issued a bailable warrant against the investigation officer of the Choolaimedu police station and posted the matter for further hearing to February 9.