The Colombo high Court imposed the death penalty on three persons found guilty over a murder committed at Pannipitiya in 1996.
The Attorney General had filed charges against five suspects for the hacking to death of an individual in Pannipitiya over a personal dispute and critically injuring the victim’s wife.
Following a trial which had lasted for over 20 years, four of the accused were found guilty by the court for the charges.
Colombo High Court Judge Wikum Kaluarachchi sentenced to death three of them namely Pradeep Premachandra, Sudath Kumara, and Sumith Srilal.
Another accused was sentenced to seven-and-a-half-years rigorous imprisonment and also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 25,000.
The other defendant in the case was acquitted and released as they had failed to prove he is guilty without a reasonable doubt.
