Supreme Court reserves verdict on appeals by seven in Vidya murder case

Colombo, Nov. 6 (Daily Mirror) - The Supreme Court today reserved its judgment in appeals filed by seven accused who were sentenced to death for the murder and gang rape of Sivaloganathan Vidya.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court is to deliver its judgment regarding these applications in due course.

The Supreme Court five-judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, concluded the arguments put forward by both appellant and respondent parties.

Seven accused, including Mahalingam Shashikumar alias Swiss Kumar, were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Sivaloganathan Vidya of Punguduthivu by the Jaffna High Court Trial-at-bar on September 27, 2015.

Through their appeal petition, the seven accused stated that they were seeking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to review and set aside their conviction and the death sentence imposed by the High Court.

Nine suspects, Poobalasingham Indrakumar alias Sinnappa, Poobalasingham Jeyakumar alias Ravi, Poobalasingham Navakumar alias Sendil, Mahalingam Shashidaren alias Shashi, Pillainandan Chandrakasan alias Chandra, Shivaderan Kushange alias Periyathamby, Palani Rubasingham Kuganathan alias Nishanthan, Jeyadaran Kokilan alias Kanna and Mahalingam Shashikumar alias Swiss Kumar were accused of the abduction, rape and murder of Sivaloganathan Vidya.

The first and the seventh accused, Poobalasingham Indrakumar alias Sinnappa and Palani Rubasingham Kuganathan alias Nishanthan, were released due to lack of adequate evidence to prove their involvement in the murder.