Indian Held Over Plot to Kill Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Acquitted

Colombo, February 27: An Indian national held in Sri Lanka over an alleged plot to assassinate president Maithripala Sirisena was acquitted on Wednesday, court officials said.

Marceli Thomas, from Kerala, was arrested in October following a complaint by Namal Kumara, a police informant, who had alleged a plot to assassinate Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court acquitted Thomas of the charges of conspiring to assassinate the VIPs when the case was taken up for hearing on Wednesday.

Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake on February 13 informed the CID to present to court evidence against the suspect regarding the plot in two weeks. However, the CID has not been able to produce any evidence against Thomas implicating him in the conspiracy charges.

Thomas had denied the allegation in the court and claimed that he is innocent and that an attempt was being made to frame him. Considering the facts in the case, the Magistrate said he cannot order to keep a person in remand without evidence as the police wanted. However, Thomas has been remanded further on charges of staying in the country without a valid visa.