Six months after assassination of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra who was a former Parliamentarian, on an election day in Mullariyawa, now, one of the week-end newspapers in Sri Lanka has reported that “Contract” has been given to two under world gangs to assassinate Hirunika Premachandra who is the only daughter of Bharatha in order to stop her relentless pursuit of justice for her father’s and three of his political supporters’ brutal murders which were committed in the broad day light.
Although large majority of Srilankans know how pathetic the way defense establishments of Sri Lanka handled initial investigations into this quadruple murder, it is important to mention that regardless of overwhelming evidence of Parliamentarian Duminda Silva’s involvement in this shooting incident on that day, defense establishments failed to name Duminda Silva as a suspect, until magistrate court judge ruled Duminda Silva a suspect after careful consideration of evidence and affidavits of eye witnesses against him.
On this backdrop, apparent failure of fair and independent police investigations into this heinous crime, just like the way her father bravely stepped in to stop voter suppression and intimidation on that fateful election day, now, Hirunika has bravely stepped in seeking justice for her father’s and other three brutal murders. It is obvious her action has made some ultra-powerful people in Sri Lanka very uncomfortable in carrying out their other half of the plan in Bharatha’s murder case. After some digging into this newspaper report, it has been further revealed that this alleged murder contract has been given to these two under world groups by none other than Reno Silva who is the elder brother of main suspect Duminda Silva and the business partner of defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksha.
It is absolutely repugnant that defense secretary of Sri Lanka chose to partner up with the elder brother of quadruple murder suspect to invest tens of millions of rupees in the hotel industry particularly when his business partner is under investigations on alleged tax evasion.
Under similar circumstances when two under world characters confessed to Mirihana Police in January 2011 that they were given contracts to kill Bharatha Lakshman, Mullariyawa development council chairman Prassanna Solangarachchi and Kaduwela municipal council member Lakmal Wilathgamuwa, We as very concerned siblings of Bharatha, wrote to the President with copies to the defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksha , Minister Basil Rajapaksha and the hierarchy of the SLFP requesting extra security for our brother in order to save his life and security for other two, naming MP Duminda Silva as the person who was behind the death threat that Bharatha had had on his life until he was assassinated. Although we know for a fact that most powerful three members of the ruling family of Sri Lanka discussed the contents of our letter at that time, after our brother’s murder they shamefully denied receipt of that letter. De’-ja’ vu all over again. With this newspaper exposé which reveals the death threat on Hirunika’s life, it is incumbent on the President to act swiftly to save Hirunika’s life by providing adequate security right away, conduct unbiased police investigations into alleged murder ploy and bring suspect to justice without any further delay. Should any harm comes to Hirunika’s life and limb as a failure to act on this (as it was in Bharatha’s case) those who are in-charge of defense establishment of Sri Lanka would be held responsible for such tragic eventuality.
Thank you,
Asela Premachandra
JUSTICE FOR BHARATHA,
CALGARY CANADA
LNW