By Newswire Editorial

The Mahawa Magistrate’s Court has ordered that the investigation and future conduct of the case relating to the shooting of tusker Kawanthissa be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Mahawa Magistrate Anuruddhika Seneviratne issued the order to Attorney Chathura Gunaratne, representing the Galgamuwa Wildlife Office, when the case was taken up for hearing on Wednesday (11).

The Magistrate also ordered that the two suspects arrested in connection with the shooting, including a Skills Development Officer, be further remanded until November 25.

During the hearing, lawyers representing the suspects argued that elephants and tuskers did not fall under the Public Property Act.

However, the Magistrate rejected the argument, stating that elephants and tuskers were covered by the Act.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ruled that the court did not have the judicial authority to grant bail to the two suspects under the relevant provisions.

Meanwhile, senior lawyers Vijitha Wickramanayake and Sadagiri Bandara, appearing on behalf of the Protect Elephant World Global Association, raised concerns over increasing threats to the lives of elephants and tuskers in Sri Lanka.

They told the court that activities carried out by YouTubers for financial gain were among the factors threatening the lives of wild elephants.

The lawyers also maintained that tusker Kawanthissa fell under the Public Property Act and urged the court and Wildlife Department officials to give due consideration to the matter.

Meanwhile, an interim post-mortem report on the death of tusker Kawanthissa, submitted by Professor P.P.M.A. Wijesundara of the University of Peradeniya, was also examined by the court.

According to the report, three pieces of ammunition were recovered from the right side of the deceased tusker’s abdomen during the post-mortem examination.

The Magistrate subsequently ordered Wildlife Department officials to forward the recovered ammunition to the Government Analyst for examination.

The court also directed that a Government Analyst’s report be submitted to determine whether the recovered ammunition matched either of the two firearms seized from the suspects.

The two firearms have been identified as the third item of evidence in the prosecution’s case. (Newswire)