Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan disappearance - witness proceedings
Current status of the Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan disappearance - witness proceedings
Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, activists with the Frontline Socialist Party, disappeared in Jaffna on 9 Dec 2011 while organising a press conference; Rajapaksa was Defence Secretary at the time. Litigation has focused on compelling him to give evidence about the disappearances, not on prosecuting him. The Jaffna Magistrate's Court ordered him to give evidence and, after he sought to testify from outside Jaffna citing security concerns, granted permission for him to testify by video link, with an appearance before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court set for 29 Sep 2026. Public reporting reviewed for this record does not show that Rajapaksa has been criminally charged in this matter.
What’s happened
Witness / summoned-to-testify status only - keep outside any list of charges against Rajapaksa unless the procedural posture changes.
- Court
- Jaffna Magistrate's Court (proceeding); Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court (video-link testimony venue)
- Next hearing / due
- 27 November 2026
Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan disappearance - witness proceedings timeline
- 27 November 2026
Next Hearing
The matter is scheduled to return to court on 2026-11-27 for further recording of evidence.
Court: Jaffna Magistrate's Court
Sources (1)
- 29 September 2026
Hearing
Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave evidence as a witness by video link from the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court to the Jaffna Magistrate's Court (Magistrate S. Lenin Kumar), accompanied by two lawyers. Further recording of evidence was fixed for 27 November 2026. He is a witness in these proceedings, not an accused.
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court