Raviraj killing: Trial begins, Special Jury appointed

By Shehan Chamika Silva

 

The trial pertaining to killing of Former TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj and his driver was initiated today following the appointment of the Special Jury to the case in the Colombo High Court.

 

The seven jurors to the Special Jury were drawn from the selected Jurors panels of the defence and the prosecution of the case.

 

Subsequently, the Colombo High Court served indictments on the three accused, who were present in court.

 

At a previous occasion defence requested court to appoint a Jury into the case and then the prosecution moved it as a Special Jury to the case, which comprising with the Jurors, who are Sinhala speaking graduates.

 

There were six suspects indicted by the Attorney General under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Penal Code on five counts over the killing of Raviraj and his driver in 2006.

 

The two suspects, Febian Tusen and Sivakanandan alias Charan were missing from the case while the accused, Palana sami suresh was no longer alive.

 

Other suspects in remand custody were Prasad Chandana Kumara, Gamini Seneviratne and Pradeep Chaminda, and they were present in court.

 

Earlier, The Colombo High Court allowed prosecution to proceed the trial in the absence of missing three suspects into the case under the section 241 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

 

Wijeya Wickrema Manamperige Sanjaya Preethi Viraj who was also once a suspect to the case was made as a Crown witness for the Raviraj murder trial by the prosecution.

 

Senior Deputy Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysooriya initiating the proceedings of the trial today delivered the opening submission of the prosecution addressing the Special Jury and the leading evidence of the prosecution would initiate from today.

 

The case would be tried daily in the presence of the Special Jury from tomorrow onwards (23).