Court of Appeal bench declines to hear Khuram murder appeal

The Court of Appeal yesterday referred the appeal filed by the former Chairman of the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha, SLFPer, Sampath Vidana Pathirana and three others to the President of the Court of Appeal to be re-listed before another bench.

The former Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman and the others were convicted by the High Court for the murder of British National Khuram Shaikh and his Russian girlfriend Victoria at a hotel in Tangalle on December 25, 2011.

The Colombo High Court sentenced the convicts to 20 year RI.

The convicts appealed to the Court of Appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence.

The Attorney General in his appeal has asked for an enhancement of the sentence.

The Court of Appeal Bench of yesterday comprised Justice Deepali Wijesundera and Justice Lalith Jayasuriya.