Sumanthiran to file appeal against Raviraj’s case

Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran says that he would appeal against the verdict in the shooting death of outspoken ethnic Tamil lawmaker Nadaraja Raviraj’s case.

All five suspects arrested and charged in connection with the murder of late TNA Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj were acquitted and release by a special jury in Colombo High Court yesterday.

Nadaraja Raviraj was shot dead in his car in 2006 during the country’s long civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, which ended in 2009. He was an advocate for greater self-rule for minority Tamils and had explained the Tamil perspective of the conflict in Sinhala, the language of the majority.

The verdict was delivered by High Court Judge Manilal Waidyatilleke at 12:25 a.m. on Saturday, following the unanimous decision reached by the seven-member jury in the monthlong trial.

Raviraj’s killing was widely condemned by the international community. At the time of his killing, the government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had blamed the assassination on the rebels, but Raviraj’s supporters suspected a government hand. (With inputs from AP)