DSG Dileepa Peiris yesterday informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya thata Chief Inspector (CI) of Police would soon be produced in Court and named as a suspect on charges destroying and concealing evidence and conspiracy to do so in connection with the suspicious death of the 16-year-old maid Jude Ishalini who was employed at the house of MP Rishad Bathiudeen.
DSG Peiris stated that the Chief Inspector in question had reportedly visited the MP’s house the day after the deceased had been admitted to hospital with severe burn injuries and had then gone to meet the sibling of the victim. Hence, the prosecution told the Courta probe will be initiated against the Chief Inspector as serious suspicions had arisen regarding his conduct, in connection with the incident and having allegedly tampered with the crime site.
Magistrate Jayasuriya also ordered IGP C.D. Wickremaratne to ensure that the Police Department does not issue statements to the Media pertaining to the case through predetermination as the investigations into the case are still at a decisive stage. Besides DSG Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, the CCD and PCWB represented the prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Court dismissed the bail applications submitted by the four suspects, including MP Bathiudeen’s wife and further remanded them till 23 August. On 15 July, a 16-year-old girl, who was serving as domestic aide at the Bathiudeen’s residence, succumbed to severe burn injuries while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.
She had been under medical care for 12 days since her admission to the hospital on 3 July. The girl, who was residing in the Dayagama area, had been 15 years of age when she was brought to the Parliamentarian’s residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha for domestic work last October. The JMO who conducted the post-mortem on the girl’s death concluded that she had been sexually exploited.
Thereby, the former Minister’s wife, father-inlaw, and the middleman, in question, were taken into custody on 23 July, based on the testimonies recorded from nearly 20 individuals, autopsy results, and the evidence gathered by the investigating officers, which pointed to the fact that the deceased girl was subjected to abuse.
In addition, the 44-year-old brother-in-law of MP Bathiudeen was also taken into custody and produced before the JMO for allegedly sexually abusing a young woman who worked as a domestic helper at the lawmaker’s official residence from 2015 to 2019. The victim’s remains were exhumed on 30 July for a second post-mortem by a Court-appointed specialist medical team.