The Katana OIC assault case ends with a nine-month suspended prison term for Former Police Chief Jagath Themiya Senaratne. Jagath was found guilty on all three charges of assaulting a police constable and a sergent.
Negombo Magistrate Rakitha Abeysinghe found the party guilty of three charges of assaulting a police constable and a sergent who served under him in 2017.
The court imposed a nine-month prison term, suspended for five years. It also ordered Senaratne to pay LKR 500,000 as compensation to the police sergeant and LKR 750,000 to the police constable.
The former OIC will face a further 12 months in prison if he fails to make the compensation payments.
A Lengthy Nine Year Wait Finally Over
The Katana OIC assault case began after the two officers lodged complaints against their superior in 2017. Acting on advice from the Attorney General, authorities arrested the suspect and produced him before court.
The ruling now concludes a lengthy legal battle that continued for nine years. President’s Counsel Shanaka Ranasinghe and Senior Counsel Indika Silva represented the former Chief Inspector during the trial.
The court process continued for roughly nine years. By January 27, 2026, the evidence and submissions appear to have concluded because Negombo Chief Magistrate Rakitha Abeysinghe was expected to deliver judgment. However, the court postponed the decision to March 24, saying the judgment had not been finalised.
The final judgment was apparently delayed again. On June 16, 2026, Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera found Senaratne guilty on all three charges. She postponed sentencing until July 14 and ordered that his fingerprints be submitted to court.
On July 14, the court imposed:
- Nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for five years
- LKR 500,000 compensation to the sergeant
- LKR 750,000 compensation to the constable
- A further 12 months’ imprisonment if he failed to pay the compensation
Before sentencing, President’s Counsel Shanaka Ranasinghe reportedly asked for leniency, pointing to Senaratne’s lack of previous convictions and seeking a suspended sentence. Ranasinghe and Senior Counsel Indika Silva represented him during the case.
