The driver of late State Minister Sanath Nishantha, who was arrested over the fatal accident that claimed two lives including the lawmaker, was granted bail on Monday (05 Feb.).

Accordingly, the driver was released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000 on the orders of the Welisara Magistrate’s Court.

The suspect had been arrested on 26 January and remanded until 05 February, on orders of the Welisara Magistrate’s Court after the police recorded a statement from him with regard to the fatal crash.

On 25 January, Sanath Nishantha’s vehicle had crashed against the roadside barrier on the Katunayake Expressway, after rear-ending a moving container truck at around 02:00 a.m., according to police.

Following the fatal collision, three injured persons, including the state minister, were rushed to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, but the lawmaker and his security guard, identified as a police constable attached to his security detail, had later succumbed to their injuries.