Is this the end of Vidya’s murder case?

 Sep 29, 2017

The seven accused in the gang-rape and murder of the girl Sivaloganathan Vidya of Pungudutivu on 13 May 2015 was sentenced to death by a three member trial-at-bar. The verdict came after a two year and four month long hearing, which will be a relief for those who have had experiences in how legal matters proceed in Sri Lanka. But, society should pay strong attention to the fact that nothing was done with regard to the network of criminals in Jaffna that was the hidden hand behind this crime.

Mahalingam Shashikumar alias Swiss Kumar masterminded the abduction, gang-rape and murder of Vidya, which all were videoed. It came to light that he had run a racket to video rapings of Jaffna women and sell the footage to pornographic sites overseas.

When one takes a look at the mechanism that put into operation to save Swiss Kumar, the network that runs the criminal network in Jaffna can be identified. Children’s affairs state minister Vijayakala Maheswaran, Prof. Thamilmaran of Colombo University’s Law Faculty, former senior DIG of the north Lalith Jayasinghe, Maheswaran’s brother-in-law Thiagaraja Thuwarakeshan and others were behind it. Also, some accomplices in Swiss Kumar’s crimes belong to Douglas Devananda’s EPDP. These are the persons who use powers of the state and play with the lives of the innocent Jaffna people. They are the active hands behind the terror that has engulfed Jaffna. But, all of them have gone scot free.

We previously exposed Thuwarakeshan, who has gained a trade monopoly in Jaffna from the time of the war, where it was described how he and Vijayakala fought for the business empire built by UNP MP T. Maheswaranm following his killing, and that that led to an underworld culture there. Nothing new has to be said about Devananda, who unleashed terror by his paramilitary activities from the time of the war. All these continue to use their political affiliations and escape the law.

Swiss Kumar and his accomplices were sentenced to death. But, nothing happened to those who tried to save him. He was not their only partner in crime. Therefore, their criminal network will continue to prey on innocent lives tomorrow. The law, overpowered by the political connections, will look the other way. Thamilmaran and Jayasinghe will take a cue from this case and continue to flex the law. Maheswaran tried to save a child rapist and the country’s children will continue to be preyed on by abusers. People will have to pay for the sin of having born in a country with a political culture that does not know the meaning of civilization.