Danushka Gunathilaka granted a hefty $150,000 bail


image-lakqwz13Danushka Gunathilaka (Source: AP Newsroom)

An Australian court has granted bail to Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka after clarity was reached on the fact that the cricketer had the support of Sri Lankan cricket association and government. A surety of $150,000 was also offered to ensure that Gunathilaka gets the bail. 

Gunathilaka was arrested on November 6 from the Hyatt Regency hotel on Sussex street. The incident before the Sri Lankan team returned home without the player after losing to England in the Super 12 clash. 

The cricketer was denied bail in Downing Centre Local Court on November 7 and had been detained for 11 days after that. This was followed by his attorneys filing a bail application in the New South Wales Supreme Court, the hearing for which will be taking place on December 8. 

Gunathilaka has been charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent after he allegedly assaulted a 29-year-old woman sexually on November 2 in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This happened after they matched on Tinder, there were no pleas entered at the moment. 

The case resurfaced after defence barrister Murugan Thangaraj, SC, applied for the release of the Sri Lankan cricketer in the Local Court docket. Notably, Gunathilaka was ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 with a hamstring injury, after he played a single game in the first round against Namibia on the 16th of October. 

The committee will focus on various alleged incidents: Sri Lankan Cricket

Sri Lanka cricket has agreed to co-operate with the Australian law enforcement but then launched their own probe into 'various alleged incidents' in Australia. 

An Sri Lankan cricket statement read-

"The committee will focus the inquiry on various alleged incidents that have come to the attention of Sri Lanka Cricket and that are said to have allegedly taken place during the national team's stay un Australia. The panel in this process will call for an immediate explanation from the team manager pertaining to his conduct, with reference to the occurrence of such incidents."


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