AG appeals against verdict on Raviraj’s murder

The Attorney General has filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals against the recent judgment of the Colombo High Court in the case of former TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj’s murder and seeking a retrial.  

On December 24, the Colombo High Court acquitted five suspects, including three navy personnel, who were accused in the shooting death of the prominent Tamil lawmaker, on grounds of lack of sufficient evidence. 

Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya had said last week that he had requested the Court Registrar to forward the case record to him, the day after the verdict was announced, and that he is considering appealing against the verdict.

Those accused were Prasad Chandana Kumara, Gamini Kumara, Pradeep Chaminda, Sivakanthan Vivekanandan alias Karan and Xavier Royston Christopher Hussein. Another accused Palaniswamy Suresh had died.

They were charged on five counts under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Penal Code.

Three of the accused were naval intelligence personnel and these were present throughout the trial. Two others belonging to the “Karuna” faction of the now defunct LTTE, had absconded.

Raviraj, who represented the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from Jaffna district, died in hospital after being shot by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on November 10, 2006.    

He was shot as he left his house in Colombo for work. One of his guards, Sgt. Lakshman Lokuwella, was also killed in the attack.   

Raviraj’s murder took place within one year of the killing of veteran Eastern Province Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham.