Vidya murder case appeal: SC defers to 13 December

By S.S.Selvanayagam

Supreme Court Thursday deferred to 13 December the appeal made by the convicts in the sensational murder case of female student Vidya of Punguduthivu, one of the islets of the Jaffna Peninsula.

The Bench comprised Justices Eva Wanasundera, Nalin Perera and Prasanna S. Jayawardena.

Trial-at-Bar of the Jaffna High Court on 27 September 2017 convicted seven accused, including Mahalingam Shashikumar, alias Swiss Kumar, and sentenced them to death for the murder of Vidya in 2015.

In the Trial-at-Bar of the High Court, there were altogether nine suspects. Namely (1) Poobalasingham Indrakumar, alias Sinnappa, (2) Poobalasingham Jeyakumar, alias Ravi, (3) Poobalasingham Navakumar, alias Sendil, (4) Mahalingam Shashidaren, alias Shashi, (5) Pillainandan Chandrakasan, alias Chandra, (6) Shivaderan Kushange, alias Periyathamby, (7) Palani Rubasingham Kuganathan, alias Nishanthan, (8) Jeyadaran Kokilan, alias Kanna, and (9) Mahalingam Shashikumar, alias Swiss Kumar, were accused of the abduction, rape and murder of  deceased 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. The Trial-at-Bar headed by Vavuniya High Court Judge Balendran Shashi Mahendran included Jaffna High Court Judge Ilancheliyan Manickavasagar and Trincomalee High Court Judge Annalingam Premshankar.

The second, third, fifth, sixth and eighth accused were sentenced to 30 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs. 40,000 each. They were also ordered to pay a compensation of Rs. 1 million each to the mother of the victim.  The Court also ordered to extend their prison term by four months if they fail to pay the fine. These convicts will also have to serve another two years if they fail to pay the compensation. The fourth and the ninth accused were sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment, each with a fine of Rs. 70,000. By default they have to serve another four-month imprisonment. They were also ordered to pay Rs. 1 million each as compensation to Vidya’s parents or in default they have to serve another two years of imprisonment. The trial was conducted before the Panel of three Judges, Vavuniya High Court Judge Balendran Sashi Mahendran, Jaffna High Court Judge Ilancheliyan Manickavasagar and Trincomalee High Court Judge Annalingam Premshankar.