7 accused including Swiss Kumar in Vidya murder ... sentenced to death!

The murder trial of schoolgirl Vidya of Jaffna was announced today by Jaffna High Court Judge Mr. Manickavasagar Ilangavelian and he said that the 7 accused including Swiss Kumar be sentenced to death. Since there was no sufficient evidence where the 1st and 7th accused were concerned, he took steps to release them. The

said case comprised of High Court Judge Balendran Sashi Mahendran, Trincomalee High Court Judge Annalingam Premashankar and Jaffna High Court Judge Manickavasagar Ilanvekian, a special 3 member bench and all 3 judges were unanimous in pronouncing the judgment for the accused to be hanged. Apart from the death sentence the guilty have been ordered to pay a fine of one million to the family of schoolgirl Vidya. A 30 year jail sentence too has been imposed together with the death sentence.

The 18 year old schoolgirl Shivaloganathan Vidya was collectively raped and killed on the 13th in the month of May, 2015 in Punkudathiv area, Kayts, Jaffna. In connection with this incident, 9 suspects including Sashikumar alias Swiss Kumar, Poobalasingham Indrakumar, Poobalasingham Jeyakumar, Poobalasingham Jeyakumar, Poobalasinhgam Thavakumar, Mahalingam Sashindran, Thillenadan Chandrahasan, Sivadevan Dushanth, Palani Rupasingham Kugadasan and Jeyatharan Kokilan were filed action against in Jaffna High Court.

This case was heard in the presence of a 3 member bench of judges in the history of courts at Jaffna High Court for the first time. It was revealed during the course of court proceedings that the girl Vidya was murdered on a set plan with the motive of producing a blue film for sale in Switzerland and evidence secured from the prosecution, state's evidence and the defendant party was concluded recently. As such, the verdict of the case running into 332 pages was announced accompanying the order that all 7 found guilty be hanged.

During the period when this case was being heard, attacks on the judge, political influences and an attempt to prey on the judges on a monetary basis and several other anomalous activities were reported; but in the end the guilty party reaped the punishment that was their due share, the prosecution informed with happiness.