Four individuals, including the driver of a private tourist vehicle, were arrested by wildlife officers inside Yala National Park for illegal conduct following a collision with a safari jeep on Friday (12).

According to the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the group, who had been staying at the Lower Hentota Tourist Bungalow inside the national park, were taken into custody yesterday (14). 

Their vehicle had collided with a safari jeep near Yala junction, after which the driver and passengers allegedly got down inside the park and attempted to engage in a confrontation, an act prohibited within the protected area.

The department said that the suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court today (15). (Newswire)

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Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha Rajapaksa has arrived at the Slave Island Police Station along with his wife, the Police said.

It is reported that Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his wife have arrived to record statements regarding a recent clash at a nightclub in Colombo.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his wife were part of a group that had clashed with security officials at the nightclub on Friday (21 Mar). (Newswire)

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Three persons, including a former councillor of the Mihintale Provincial Council, have been injured in a brawl at a restaurant in Mihintale Town. 

According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, the injured persons include a former SLPP provincial councillor, a student of the Rajarata University, and an employee of the restaurant.

The Mihintale Police stated that the former provincial councillor had engaged in a heated argument with the university student who was having dinner at the restaurant, resulting in a physical brawl.

A group of Rajarata University students who had arrived at the location had later assaulted the former provincial councillor.

The former provincial councillor, the university student, and an employee of the restaurant who had sustained serious injuries had been admitted to the Mihintale Hospital and were later transferred to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. (Newswire)

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Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MPs Palani Digambaram and Velu Kumar have been caught on camera engaging in a brawl while participating in a debate on local television.

Video footage of the incident shows the two MPs speaking to each other in a derogatory manner leading to a physical brawl.

The MPs were later separated by the television staff in an attempt to contain the situation.

TPA MP Velu Kumar had recently pledged support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, MP Palani Digambaram along with TPA Leader Mano Ganesan has extended support for Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in the election. (Newswire)

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The Secretary-General of the Parliament has refuted recent media reports claiming that an argument between two catering employees of the Parliament had escalated into a stabbing. 

Issuing a statement, the Secretary-General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera said media reports were published yesterday that an argument between two catering employees in the dining hall of the Parliament on Tuesday had escalated into a stabbing.

The Secretary-General further said that the facts reported by the media emphasizing there occurred such an argument between two parliamentary catering employees, but it escalated into attacking each other and trying to stab them with a knife, are inaccurate and false.

Emphasizing the importance of all media adhering to a sense of utmost responsibility in reporting such matters, Rohanadeera emphasized that the reputation of the Parliament is tarnished and damaged by reporting false facts with exaggeration about such an incident. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Gunathilaka Rajapaksha has withdrawn the Police complaint filed against fellow party member MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, accusing the latter of physical assault at the Presidential Secretariat. 

It is reported that MP Gunathilaka Rajapaksha had withdrawn his Police complaint on Monday (July 01). 

The two SLPP members had reportedly clashed during the ruling party meeting on June 03, following which Gunathilaka Rajapaksha’s son had filed a complaint with the Colombo-Fort Police claiming that MP Aluthgamage had assaulted his father during the party meeting.

At the time, it was reported that MP Gunathilaka Rajapaksha had sustained a serious injury to his leg and had to be subjected to surgery for over 4 hours.

The Police had also recorded statements from other SLPP MPs who had witnessed the incident, but they are reported to have said they had not witnessed such a scene. 

Meanwhile, commenting on the incident MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage had claimed that he had not assaulted MP Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, but the latter had fallen down the stairs. 

MP Aluthgamage had also warned of initiating legal action against MP Gunathilaka Rajapaksha for having made false allegations against him. (Newswire)

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State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage, and opposition MPs Sujith Sanjaya Perera and Rohana Bandara have been suspended from Parliament for a period of one month over a recent brawl in Parliament.

The decision has been taken based on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges.

MP Chamal Rajapaksa submitted the investigation report on the brawl to Parliament today on behalf of the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges, with the report recommending to temporarily suspend the three MPs from Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) accused the Speaker of the Parliament of failing to implement the recommendations of the committee that was appointed to investigate the brawl.

The SJB revealed that the report by the Parliamentary Committee had recommended a 03-month suspension for State Minister Diana Gamage and only one month for the two SJB MPs.

The SJB added that, however, the decision pertaining to State Minister Diana Gamage has been reduced to one month after the report had been submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges.

The suspension comes in connection to a brawl that broke out within the Parliament premises between State Minister Diana Gamage and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs Rohana Bandara and Sujith Perera in October.

Following the incident, State Minister Diana Gamage lodged a complaint with the Welikada Police against SJB MP Sujith Perera accusing him of having allegedly assaulted her outside the Parliament Chamber. (NewsWire)

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The committee appointed to investigate the brawl between State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs Rohana Bandara and Sujith Perera has handed over its report to the Speaker.

Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe said the committee had convened for the last time today after which the report consisting of its recommendations had been handed over to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

A brawl had broken out within the Parliament premises between State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs Rohana Bandara and Sujith Perera on October 20, 2023.

Following the incident, State Minister Diana Gamage lodged a complaint with the Welikada Police against SJB MP Sujith Perera accusing him of having allegedly assaulted her outside the Parliament Chamber. (NewsWire)

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