When the case was taken up for trial yesterday before the District Judge of Colombo, Counsel for the Defendant informed Court that she has been retained only today and therefore she needs time to get ready for the trial.

The District Judge refixed the trial for 9th March 2007 in respect of the Plaint filed by the Susanthika Jayasinghe against the producer of the film "Susima". The Plaintiff

Susanthika has alleged in her plaint the film attempted to depict her life style without her consent.

Susanthika Jayasinghe had also alleged in her plaint that the film script has been written with malice to assassinate her character and to cause paint of mind.

Plaintiff’s Counsel informed Court that in the first instance Court granted an ex-parte enjoining order and therefore an inter-party inquiry granted an interim injunction. The Defendant in this case appealed against the issue of interim injunction and the Court of appeal affirmed the order of the District Judge and dismissed the application filed by the Defendant in the Court of Appeal.

The Plaintiff Counsel also informed Court that this action has been instituted as far back as 2001 and for the last 5 years the Defendant has changed number of instructing Attorneys and retained number of Counsels and obtained number of dates on the pretext of settlement and never settled the case.

When this case came up for trial on an earlier occasion, the Director of the film Mohamed Niyaz Attorney-at-Law gave an undertaking to Court not to direct any film based on the script in this case and accordingly the case was settled against the film Director.

Mr. Romesh De Silva PC with Mr. Palitha Kumarasinghe P.C. and Mr. Priyantha Alagiyawanna Attorney-at-Law instructed by Mr. G. G. Arulpragasam Attorney-at-Law appeared for Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Mrs. Shiromi Udurawana Attorney-at-Law appeared for Mr. Sarath Namalgama.