Vithya Rape And Murder Judgement: Suspicion Over Vijayakala’s Actions

The judgement delivered last week into the rape and murder of Sivaloganathan Vithya raised suspicions over the actions of State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran.High Court Judge N. Illancheliyan, in his ruling, noted that Maheswaran had taken steps to secure the release of the main accused when he was captured by residents following the rape and murder.Illanchelliyan also said that Maheswaran did not take any measures to have the accused identified as ‘Swiss Kumar’ handed over to the police.The judge also found that even some top police officers did not assist in the investigations to ensure justice for Vithya.

Senior DIG Lalith Jayasinghe was among those accused of obstructing justice and was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) but was later granted bail.While the case into the rape and murder was ongoing, High Court judge N. Illancheliyan was shot at by gunmen in Nallur, Jaffna while he was in his vehicle.The judge was unhurt during the shooting incident in July his year but a policeman who was giving security to the judge was killed.Meanwhile Vithya’s mother Sivaloganathan Sarasvathi said that no mother should face a situation like her daughter did in 2015.She thanked the trial-at-bar, the police and the media for all the efforts to ensure her daughter got justice.

Seven accused over the rape and murder of Sivaloganathan Vithya were last week sentenced to death by a trial-at-bar at the Jaffna High Court.Vithya was abducted and raped in 2015 before she was killed.Among those sentenced to death was the main suspect identified as ‘Swiss Kumar’.During the case it was revealed that Swiss Kumar had arrived in Sri Lanka with the intention of video recording the rape and murder of the girl.

The girl had been abducted by one of nine suspects, arrested over the incident, before being raped and killed.The three judge bench was told that Swiss Kumar had wanted to sell the video of the rape and murder to a contact in Switzerland.It was also revealed that one suspect was in love with the victim but the girl had rejected his advances.This had reportedly led to the suspect turning his failed love into outrage and agreeing to abduct the girl.In all, 41 charges were filed against the suspects in the murder of the 18-year-old girl in May 2015. Grief turned to anger soon after Vithya was found dead, with friends and others demanding justice.

Following the rape and murder of the girl just a few months after President Maithripala Sirisena took office, the President had assured that a special court will be set up to ensure speedy and proper justice in the case of brutal rape-murder of the school girl in Jaffna.Swiss Kumar denied the allegations against him and his lawyers are to file an appeal against the judgment.

The case took place under tight security and the convicts were taken to the Bogambara prison after the death sentence was delivered.

Celebrations were held in Jaffna on the day of the judgement and a day after.