A high-stakes courtroom drama unfolded today, as suspicions that Athula Thilakaratne illegally released under a controversial presidential amnesty had fled the country were dramatically dispelled when the man himself raised his hand in open court, revealing he was very much present in Sri Lanka.
Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, addressing the Colombo Chief Magistrate, had earlier informed the court that authorities suspected Thilakaratne had escaped overseas following an unauthorized prison release. Peiris stated that three inmates from Anuradhapura Prison, including Thilakaratne, had been secretly freed despite their names not appearing on the official presidential pardon list.
Prisons Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya, summoned to court over the matter, confirmed that further investigations revealed more than one illegal release had taken place. “So far, the evidence points to Athula Thilakaratne as the central figure. There are others involved whose identities are still unknown,” he said.
However, in a dramatic twist, as a separate case involving Thilakaratne was being heard before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court, his attorney, Senior Counsel Aravinda Habakkula, assured the bench that his client had been lawfully released. The real shock came moments later Thilakaratne himself stood up in court and addressed the magistrate, confirming his presence.
With officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the same courtroom, the visual of the supposedly “missing” man left officials visibly stunned.
After the proceedings, Thilakaratne left the courtroom as any other free man would calmly and without resistance.
The incident has now raised more questions than answers. Who authorized the releases? How did a suspected fugitive end up in plain sight at a court hearing? And was this an elaborate miscommunication or part of a deeper systemic breakdown?
As pressure mounts, public confidence in the integrity of the presidential pardon process, the prison system, and investigative mechanisms is being severely tested.
