Hirunika Premachandra granted bail by Colombo High Court

Former Member of Parliament Hirunika Premachandra, who was sentenced to a three-year jail term in connection with an abduction case from 2015, was granted bail today (July 22) by the Colombo High Court following a bail application filed by her attorney.

Colombo High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja ordered Premachandra’s release on a cash bail of Rs. 50,000 with two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each. Additionally, a travel ban was imposed on her.

Premachandra had filed an appeal with the Appeals Court, seeking to overturn the recent verdict from the Colombo High Court that sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment and requesting her acquittal.

As part of this process, Premachandra’s lawyers submitted a bail application to the Colombo High Court, requesting her release on bail pending the appeal.

The former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian was convicted of abducting a youth in the Dematagoda area on December 21, 2015, using a Defender vehicle and wrongfully detaining him.

She was found guilty on 18 charges, with the court imposing a fine of Rs. 20,000 for each charge.

The court also stated that if the fines are not paid, an additional six months of imprisonment would be imposed for each charge.

President’s Counsel Nalinda Indatissa represented Hirunika Premachandra, while Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara appeared for the Attorney General.