A three-judge bench of the High Court today sentenced Niraj Roshan, alias 'Ali Roshan', to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 20.6 million, after convicting him of illegally possessing five elephants without valid permits.
Roshan was found guilty of fraudulently altering the official elephant registry maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and unlawfully keeping five elephants in his possession.
Three other individuals — Uchitha Nishantha Dammika, Palihepitiya Gamage Jayalath, and Paskuwel Fonseka Priyanga Sanjeewani — who were indicted in connection with the same case, were acquitted and released by the court.
According to the prosecution, the offences took place between July 2009 and August 2015 across several areas, including Maharagama, Arawwala, Nawala, Battaramulla, and Oruwala. Roshan, along with unidentified others, was accused of conspiring to traffic elephants, possessing stolen wildlife, and altering official records to cover up the offences.
The Attorney General had filed 33 indictments under the Code of Criminal Procedure Act and the Public Property Act.
