Trial begins: Fighting back tears, judge recalls killing of his guard on July 22, 2017

The trial began this week over the 2017 attempted murder of Jaffna High Court Judge Manicavasagar Elancheleyan and the murder of his police bodyguard.

In this case, Selvarasa Jeyanthan has been accused of fatally shooting Police Sergeant Gam Hewage Sarath Hemachandra and the attempted murder of Judge Elancheleyan and police officer Waththegedara Rathna Wimalasiri on July 22, 2017. Both the deceased Sergeant Hemachandra and Constable Wimalasiri, who was injured, were serving as Judge Elancheleyan's Personal Security Officers (PSO).

They had stopped the car and tried to go towards Sergeant Hemachandra, but the accused had pulled the pistol from the police officer’s holster and opened fire

Judge Elancheleyan and Constable Wimalasiri gave evidence during the Jaffna High Court trial before Judge D.S. Soosaidas.

In his evidence, Judge Elancheleyan said that on the day of the incident, he saw the motorbike ridden by Sergeant Hemachandra behind his car being obstructed by the accused near the Nallur Temple.

They had stopped the car and tried to go towards Sergeant Hemachandra, but the accused had pulled the pistol from the police officer’s holster and opened fire. The judge said the gunman had shot Sergeant Hemachandra first and then turned and started firing in the direction of him and his other security guard. The PSO had pushed the judge into a corner and started to return fire at the gunman. PSO Wimalasiri was also injured in the shootout. Both PSOs were rushed to the hospital in the judge’s car, but Sergeant Hemachandra succumbed to his injuries.

Judge Elancheleyan identified the accused on the dock as the gunman who shot his PSOs and shot at him. The judge fought back tears as he remembered Sergeant Hemachandra, who had been his PSO for 18 years.

In his evidence, PSO Wimalasiri also identified the accused on the dock.

The evidence was led by State Counsel Nishanth Nagaratnam and cross-examined by Defence Counsel Sharminie Vigneshwaran. The trial will resume on May 21.