DSG says strong evidence against all but 2

Deputy Solicitor General P. Kumarratnam yesterday (12) told the Vithya Sivaloganathan murder Trial-at-Bar that except for the first and seventh accused, there was strong evidence that all the other accused were involved in the gruesome murder.
The Trial-at- Bar resumed yesterday (12) and the Bench comprised High Court Judges Sasi Mahendran (Chairman), Annalingam Premshankar and M.Illanchelian.

The Deputy Solicitor General P. Kumarratnam was assisted by State Counsels Nishanth Nagaratnam and Mathini Wigneswaran.
The Prosecution’s submissions commenced at 9.30 a.m. and it continued for more than five hours.

During the lengthy submission the DSG P. Kumarratnam pointed out that the gruesome murder of 17-year-old innocent schoolgirl Vithya Sivaloganathan had been carried out in a well-planned manner by the accused and except for first and seventh accused, there was strong evidence available against all other accused on the charges of conspiracy, abduction, gang rape and murder.
According to the DSG, from the time the Trial-at-Bar commenced, based on the extensive investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) except for the first and seventh accused there was strong evidence available against other accused on 40 charges.

Nine have been named as accused in the Vithya murder case.
Continuing with his submission the DSG said, that schoolgirl Vithya Sivaloganathan was murdered on 13.5.2015 after being abducted on her way to school, Punkuduthivu Maha Vithyalayam, from her house on the fateful day 13 May 2015.
He said, that on 13 May 2015 Vithya Sivaloganathan went to school early as it was her turn to clean her classroom.

Since the sixth accused was interested in Vithya, he had intercepted her and asked her whether she liked him. However, when Vithya slapped him on his face and was about to leave the spot, she was intercepted by the 6th 2nd 3rd and 5th accused and was forcibly carried into a nearby bush and later from there, she was taken to a deserted house in the vicinity and gang raped in a gruesome manner by the 6th 2nd 3rd and 5th accused, according to Uthayasooriyan Sureshkaran, who had turned State witness.
The DSG also described how the 9th accused, Swiss Kumar, was trying to bribe the CID Inspector Nishantha Silva, through another prisoner Mohamed Ilfam at the Vavuniya prison.

The DSG’s submission also covered the Jaffna Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Mayurathan’s extensive report on the autopsy carried out on Vithya Sivaloganathan’s body.