A former ‘colonel’ of the LTTE was sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment today for the assassination of former Opposition Leader of the North Western Provincial Council Major General Janaka Perera.

Shanmuganathan Suthaharan of Chenkaladi in Batticaloa District pleaded guilty for the assassination when he was produced before the Anuradhapura High Court on August 22. Today, High Court Judge Sunanda Kumara Rathnayake delivered the verdict.

Suthaharan was the second defendant of the Janaka Perera assassination case. The first defendant has pleaded not guilty, and he was further remanded until October 3.

Major General Janaka Perera, a war veteran who led many campaigns against the LTTE was long on the LTTE hit list during the war. He became most notable when he repulsed a large scale LTTE attack on Weli-Oya Army Camp, killing nearly 500 LTTE cadres.

Major General Janaka Perera was assassinated in Anuradhapura by a suicide bomber on October 6, 2008.