The Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Jaffna Hospital testified before the Court and revealed the exact method in which Vidya was murdered.

Testifying before the trial at bar, the JMO explained that Vidya died of suffocation caused by strangling, as well as a blow to the back of the head, which had resulted in an internal brain bleed.

The JMO gave the aforementioned testimony when the trial at bar took the case up for evidence reviewing yesterday (05).

The trial at bar comprised of the Vavuniya High Court Judge, Balendran Shashi Mahendran, Jaffna High Court Judge,  Manickavasagar Illancheliyan, and the Trincomalee High Court Judge, Annalingam Premshankar.

Attorney-at-law Sinnarasa Ketheeswaranun represented the 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th respondents, whereas State Attorney Vignarajah Jayantha represented all nine respondents.

18-year-old Vidya Shivaloganathan was murdered along the 9th lane in Punkudithivu, Kayts of the Jaffna Province, on May 13, 2015.

Officers of the Attorney General’s Department confirmed before the panel of judges that the murder of Vidya was a premeditated execution.

Consequently, a trial at bar was assembled for the first time in the history the Jaffna High Court, under the orders of the Attorney General’s Department, in order to review the case involving the murder of Vidya Shivaloganathan.