On December 25, 2011, Nasser Shaikh was opening presents and having breakfast with his family, in Manchester, England, when he received a phone call informing him that his brother, Khuram, had been murdered in a hotel on the southernmost coast of Sri Lanka. The authorities assured the Shaikh family that the men responsible for taking his brother’s life and raping his brother’s girlfriend would be tried in court and ultimately convicted. As of mid-2013, there had yet to be a trial, and Nasser felt trapped in a permanent mourning, unable to move beyond this tragedy. It was then that he decided to go to Sri Lanka to try to answer a few questions himself.
Update (July 29th): Last Wednesday ( July 26th) , when the newyorker.com first posted “The Brothers Shaikh,” there had been no progress in the case for a year and a half. But on Sunday, July 28th, the government in Colombo suddenly announced that eight men who are believed to have murdered Khuram and raped his girlfriend, Victoria, will be indicted.
Reported and produced by Peter Savodnik; directed and filmed by Kannan Arunasalam and Ed Perkins. A Stateless Media Production.
Dinuk / July 31, 2013
Thanks for this!
Tourism is NO booming anymore as more and more people find out about the true state of the country and the corrupt and criminal regime that runs a family military dictatorship..
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Ben Hurling / July 31, 2013
GOSL has a problem. International exposure of this sordid case. And CHOGM coming up. GOSL needs to cover its rear.
Otherwise corrupt ruling clan and Judiciary will do everything to protect the killers. As killers are much appreciated cronies of the ruling clan.
Nothing would happen if not for the worldwide exposure this horrific case commands.
Imagine the situation of Sri Lankan victims. Take Bhartha killing as an example. And Bhartha was well connected.
We are a truly corrupt and lawless dictatorship run by one family. The hard truth. Let us accept this fact.
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Anura / July 31, 2013
How many people hate this country because of this one family. But all country people should be blamed for doing the same mistake again and again and again. Tolerance or spinelessness ….
Oh MR family, what will happen to you when you lost the power, if not then when you get really old and helpless, just before your death.
Anura
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Peace Lover / July 31, 2013
It sems that its K A Sumanasekera (Leela of Lee Potter) is the man who had financed this documentary using the i’ll gotten money from the LEE POTTER SCAM
Apparently he sells himself to the highest bidders now!
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sooriya / July 31, 2013
Killings happen in every country. This murder was not planed by the Sri Lankan people or by the GOSL. These people were in the wrong time at the wrong place. But, this doesn’t justify the killing. Sri Lankan people are always friendly and re-active against arrogance irrespectively nationality. I have live like a Roman if I am in Rome. This isolated incident given a more publicity by Tamil diaspora who are aginst the country. Dealy in court cases is not an unusual things in the country. It is unfair to take one incident to hit a country, though I felt sorry about the lost life.
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Peace Lover / July 31, 2013
Sooriya your talking absolute rubbish ,yes killings happen in all countries,thats not what we are taling abut here,we are talking of
i)why the Govt does not take action to charge the suspects and punish them
ii)why the cover up
iii) why no GOVT minister is not willing talk to the family when they come to SL?
arent you ashamed to call yourself a sri lankan
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Aney Apochchi! / August 1, 2013
Peace Lover:
You are “Sooriya” whether he’s not ashamed to call himself a Sri Lankan? That’s what many Sri Lankans are PROUD to call themselves now: murderous thugs, beginning from the very top!
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Ben Hurling / July 31, 2013
Sooriya,
Not only you. We all love our country. “Love of Country” is not a monopoly of Rajapassa clan and their cronies.
Patriotism does not mean we have to protect despicable killers with political links.
Killers are close henchmen of the ruling family. And they are being protected.
Despite the gravity of the henious crime committed. Against guests in our country. People who are supposed to be under our protection and hospitality.
Most criminals linked with the regime love to wrap themselves in the national flag. Shameful!
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Lapatiya / August 1, 2013
“These people were in the wrong time at the wrong place”
That is real nice of you Mr. Sooriya. Now You can ask Govt. to issue Guidelines for all Tourists that they should always be in the right place at right time. If anybody in wrong place at wrong time that is their responsibility. That may be according to “Chinthanaya” also.
“This Isolated Incident given a more publicity by Tamil Diaspora who are against the Country”
That is true Mr.Sooriya all theses problems because of Tamil Diaspora. I think person who killed also belongs to Tamil Diaspora. Actually Tamil Diaspora and all the Poras should accept the statement issued in this regard by our Hon.Dinesh Gunawardana in our Supreme Parliament.
“Delay in court cases is not an unusual thing in the country”
that is not correct, why can’t our Attorney General apply Duminda Silva theory or Rambukwalla theory or otherwise Malaka theory and make the court proceedings short.
“It is unfair to take one incident to hit a country”
That is also true, actually Govt. would have asked one of Shiek Khuram Brothers to come to Sri Lanka to Contest the Local Election. For that matter even Victoria is suitable because she will be the No. 1 in the list with Sympathy Votes.
“Ane ape Ratata kawada Paayaida Sooriya”
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bibinetanyahu / July 31, 2013
REMEMBER POST MUNICH, AND THE SWORD OF GIDEON MEASURES
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Lapatiya / July 31, 2013
These British people doesn’t know how our Independent Judiciary works. If they know they never bothered to ask Justice for this kind of small…small.. minor matters from a nation who defeated terrorism and also who has 2500 something proud history. Next time when the case is taken up all what our Local National Hero, Sampath Vidanapathirana will have to say is “Mata oya gana kisima mathakayak naha” or “I may have done something in my sleep” only. There will be plenty of Recommendations from experts and Doctors with Photos of empty Brain of our Local National Hero to confirm that what he say is true. There is no doubt in my mind that our Independent Judiciary will buy that theory and finally court direct the Police to check what Victoria was doing along at the time Khuram Sheik attack our Innocent guys.
British people can study Duminda Silva theory, malaka silva theory, Rambukwalla theory, saruwa sunil theory, Mervin silva theory, Jhonston theory, Abdul Cadar theory, Chandana Kasthriarachchi theory, Shirani bandaranayaka theory, Sarath Fonseka theory etc. before they challenge our Independent Judiciary system.
Ananda Sarath Kumara, another Local national Hero became disqualified for Local election because he kneeled down a Teacher, but his brother or somebody became qualified because of Ananda sarath kumara’s qualification. maarai ne?
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Chandra Seneviratne / August 1, 2013
Some of the utterances indicate the unfortunate plight the country is faced with .Still there are boot-lickers of the ruling family to hush up the heinous crimes committed by killers of the ruling clan. This not an isolated occurrence of killing and rape .The stark reality is that this is the political culture that the ruling family has consciously created to rule the country. Until this is realized people of this country will not be able to liberate country from the political, cultural, social, religious and moral degradation it is heading for.
Chandra Seneviratne
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abhaya / August 2, 2013
shocking .. this type of thing never ever happens in England . no no not ever . this guy got in the middle of a fight and got killed . crap totally unknown crime in crime free england . lmao..
it will take a few years for the wheels of jusatice to grind on in Sri Laanka . this is what happens every day. but cus this dude in british it needs to happen sooner,
yes last time I looked king George was our king still,
lmfao
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Visakha Tillekeratne / August 2, 2013
My friend and I visited the scene of crime in Tangalle a few weeks after this happened. I also spoke to the JMO of Karapitiya Hospital who could not speak out as evidence of the rape was being witheld. Senior government officials especially those responsible for security and defence, were giving cock and bull stories after transferring Victoria to a private hospital which too was very strange and irregular. Sri Lanka has become the 9th most dangerous country in the world and no wonder, as the top most family in the country is protecting all the local council murderers and rapists, backed by puppet Ministers and Chief Ministers.What a disgusting place. Where is Bodu bala Sena in all this? Where is Bodu Bala Sena when the country is yet again taking a wrong turn in having a casino area? Over to you Bodu Bala, the righteous ones!
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AJ-DXB / August 2, 2013
Word to Nasser: I personally sympathize you and your family for the agony you’ll are going through but the amount you had spent to visit SL could had been spent on third parties where justice would had been served by an armed judge
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justice / August 6, 2013
After this regime came to power,postmortem reports of murdered persons are not divulged in murder trials – Khuram’s PM report is a ‘secret’.
Victoria was not examined for signs of rape in the private hospital – a hospital spokesman said that she was examined by ultrasound (!) for evidence of rape – this was in the media – ultrasound cannot detect signs of rape.
Judges are silent on the fact of NOT divulging postmortem reports in murder trials – even the prosecution and defence lawyers appear not to demand it.The postmortem report reveals the time,date,manner and cause of death,and is the most important piece of evidence in any murder trial.
Lawyers and lawyers’ associations are silent on this.The attorney general’s department too,is silent on this.
This is very strange.
In the old days,the fist item on the agenda on the first day of any murder trial was the reading out in open court of the postmortem repost on the deceased by the medical officer – and report of examination of any female who complained of rape.
Then,he is cross examined by the prosecution and defence.
Victoria was not examined for rape in the private hospital – a hospital spokesman said that she had been examined by ultrasound (!) which cannot detect signs of rape – this was in the media.
We appear to have a strange system of ‘justice’ now,in sri lanka.
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