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Two jailed for kidnap of Brit couple of Lankan origin
Mar 23, 201401:39 PM
Ten months after a British couple of Sri Lankan origin were kidnapped from Chennai airport, the Crown Court in England has convicted Ramesh Sornalingam and Ajanthan, who masterminded the abduction.
The two were pronounced guilty on March 19 and awarded nine years and seven and half years imprisonment. However, the case against the 13 kidnappers arrested in Chennai is still pending before a court in the Indian city.
Thavarajah, 59, and his wife Salajah, 55, of Edgware in London, arrived in Chennai on May 29, 2013, on a pilgrimage when some men posing as tour operators kidnapped them. The gang got in touch with the couple’s daughter Dharshini in the UK and demanded a ransom of £3 lakh.
The Chennai police in coordination with Scotland Yard subsequently rescued the couple from Mandharakuppam village near Neyveli three days later. Thirteen people were arrested in Chennai in this connection.
Based on the information provided by the city police, Sri Lankan nationals Ramesh and Ajanthan were held in UK. The duo orchestrated the kidnapping in India through their associates Kannan, Sathiya, Indra and others, a police officer said.
On February 11 this year, three officers from Scotland Yard approached the city police to collect documentary evidence, photographs and email conversations and call data records that helped strengthened the case for the UK police, a police officer said. “We shared evidence, photographs and data with the UK police team which visited Chennai in February. It helped the UK police secure a stringent punishment for the masterminds in UK,” said commissioner S George.
The English court had a word of praise for the city police for their quick response leading to the rescue of victims and arrest of 13 culprits.
An excerpt from the judgment delivered by the UK judge read, “If it was not for the good work of the Indian police in rescuing the hostages when they did, the consequences of Mr and Mrs Thavarajah may well have been far more serious.” - TOI
