Hard labour, fine for infanticide

An accused who had been found guilty of killing an infant was sentenced to two years’ hard labour suspended for five years and fined Rs. 15,000 by Kurunegala High Court Judge Menaka Wijesundara yesterday.

The Judge said that the accused would have to serve another six-month simple omprisonment in default of the fine.

The accused woman, a resident of Nikawaratiya, was indicted by the Attorney General for killing a three-day-old infant on December 20, 2015.

Meanwhile, a drug trafficker who pleaded guilty to possessing and trafficking 21 milligrammes of heroin was sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 20,000. State Counsel Chara Dharmasiri prosecuted.