– The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court has ordered former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in person before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on September 29 and provide testimony online in connection with the case concerning the disappearance of Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandhan in Jaffna.

Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandhan, who were involved in organizing a planned protest by relatives of missing persons in Jaffna on December 10, 2011, International Human Rights Day, were reported missing the previous day after they were allegedly abducted in the Avarankal area of Jaffna.

Following their disappearance, relatives of Lalith and Kugan filed a habeas corpus petition before the Colombo Court of Appeal in 2012. During the hearing of the petition, the Court of Appeal directed the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court to investigate relevant witnesses and submit a report concerning the alleged abduction.Accordingly, the inquiry commenced before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court on September 19, 2012.During the proceedings, the name of former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was added to the list of witnesses in 2017.
Following subsequent hearings, the court ordered Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear before the court and give evidence. However, Gotabaya Rajapaksa repeatedly stated that he was unable to travel to Jaffna due to security concerns.Accordingly, during the proceedings, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, through his lawyers, requested permission to appear before the court online and provide his testimony.

The court subsequently directed him to submit an affidavit outlining the security threats he would face if he travelled to Jaffna.When the case was taken up for hearing today, the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court ordered Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in person before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on September 29 and give evidence to the Jaffna court via an online connection.