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Pararajasingham killing: AG indicts Pillayan and six others
View(s):The Attorney General (AG) has filed indictments in the Batticaloa High Court against former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan’ and six others over the assassination of parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham.
Mr. Pararajasingham, a senior parliamentarian of the Tamil United Liberation Front, was shot dead inside a church in Batticaloa on Christmas Day in 2005.
The AG has filed 11 indictments against the accused under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Penal Code.
Investigations have revealed that Palani Thambi Shashitharan alias ‘Shanthan’ had shot and killed the MP. The suspect is now dead. The other seven are accused of aiding and abetting the murder, conspiracy to murder and unlawful assembly regarding conspiracy to murder.
The seven accused are Rengasami Kanaganayagam alias ‘Kajan Mama,’ Edwin Silva Krishna Nandaraja alias ‘Pradeep Master,’ Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan,’ Mihira Lebbe Kaleel alias ‘Suresh’ alias ‘Manjula,’ alias ‘Salaam,’ Ariyanayagam Dharmanayagam alias ‘Olapatti Kumar,’ Gunasinghe Arachchige Tharindu Madhushanka alias ‘Vinoth’ and Menon.
The first four accused are currently in remand and were taken into custody after a lengthy investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The remaining accused are yet to be arrested. The AG hopes these accused will be tried in absentia.
The prosecution has listed 17 witnesses to give evidence. They include Batticaloa Magistrate N.M.N. Abdullah, who will testify on statements made before him by the first and second accused, Dr. M.M.A. Rahuman and Batticaloa’s Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), who performed the post-mortem inquiry.