The Royal Park murder case took another dramatic turn on April 29, as Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court was informed that Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, the convicted killer controversially pardoned by former President Maithripala Sirisena, is not in Singapore, contrary to previous assumptions.
The revelation came during the hearing of a Fundamental Rights petition, where State Counsel Sajith Bandara, representing the Attorney General, reported that Singaporean authorities officially notified Sri Lanka that Jayamaha is not present in their country. The Sri Lankan government had earlier requested his extradition based on preliminary reports suggesting he was residing in Singapore.
The three-judge bench, comprising Justices S. Thurairajah, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Janak de Silva, expressed serious concern over the slow progress in tracking down Jayamaha, who was released in 2019 under a presidential pardon that ignited national outrage.
Justice Thurairajah, presiding over the bench, said he was “not satisfied” with the efforts taken so far to locate Jayamaha, noting that nearly a year had passed since the court delivered its ruling on the matter.
Justice Kodagoda questioned whether immigration and emigration data had been used to trace Jayamaha’s movements. The State Counsel responded that such inquiries would now be pursued and reports would be requested from the Controller of Immigration and Emigration.
Further compounding the delay, the State Counsel revealed that the original case file had not yet been located, which had stalled efforts to obtain an arrest warrant. However, he assured the court that a warrant would now be requested from the High Court, and if that fails, the Supreme Court itself would be approached.
The case will be taken up again on July 28, with instructions for the State Counsel to report all progress.
Maithripala Sirisena Pays Court-Ordered Compensation
Adding to the day’s developments, former President Maithripala Sirisena appeared before the Supreme Court. His legal team, led by President’s Counsel Faizer Musthapha, confirmed that Sirisena had paid the Rs. 1 million compensation ordered by the court following its revocation of the controversial pardon he issued to Jayamaha.
With this payment confirmed, the court ordered the release of Maithripala Sirisena from further personal liability in the matter.
The saga continues to grip national attention, not only for the heinous nature of the 2005 Royal Park murder but for the controversy surrounding the pardon, the mysterious disappearance of Jayamaha, and the slow march of justice in a case that has exposed deep fissures in Sri Lanka’s legal and political landscape.
