Panadura Provincial High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta acquitted the two accused involved in the Panadura Pinwatte murder case without calling the defence on Friday.
The judge stated in his judgement that the prosecution had not proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and the evidence of the prosecution witnesses were not corroborative.
In this case two relatives Y. S. Nilantha de Silva and Y.S. Dharshana de Silva of Panadura Pinwatta stood indicted by the Attorney General with causing the murder of Sugath de Silva alias Wasthuwa on October 17, 2005 at Pinwatte by shooting him over a dispute. The accused and the deceased were the members of a rival gang in Pinwatte, Panadura.
In an earlier murder case heard by the Panadura Provincial High Court in 2008, the two accused were sentenced to death and they were produced by the prison guards under heavy security at the Panadura Provincial High Court to deliver the judgement.
Mohan Sellapperuma Attorney-at-law defended the accused.