Tamil politicians, including a Minister and activists have expressed their disappointment over the ruling by the Colombo High Court which acquitted all five suspects involved in the murder of former TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj.
Raviraj
According to reports Lawyer and TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, who also represented the victim’s family in the case said he did not accept the ruling, and will appeal Saturday’s ruling, which saw five personnel including three former intelligence officers of the Sri Lanka Navy being released.
Sumanthiran pointed out that this verdict is one reason why the TNA was continuously advocating for foreign judges to be present in an effort to maintain the independence of the judiciary, even when it comes to matters relating to war crimes.
Meanwhile, Minister of National Coexistence Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan who also tweeted his disappointment over Saturday’s ruling said the decision was frustrating because the ruling made it look as if Raviraj shot himself and his security. “It is frustrating as if Raviraj shot himself and his security,” he said.
Raviraj was shot dead in November 2006 along with his bodyguard. He was shot five times while his police bodyguard Sergeant Laxman Lokuwella was shot eight times.
Following the court decision, Suren Surendiran, spokesman of the GTF highlighted that all the accused, legal representatives, as well as the judge and seven jurors were Sinhalese, while the victim who was murdered was Tamil. “Should Tamils trust Sri Lanka’s justice system?,” he asked.
The order release was granted to the suspects after the case was heard before a special jury, even though the state witness had given details of the murder plot including who had pulled the trigger to kill Raviraj.
Incidentally, the order is the latest in a series of court decisions to release military intelligence officers, after President Maithripala Sirisena launched a verbal attack over the arresting and remanding of army intelligence officers in October. Since Sirisena’s statement, all arrested army intelligence officers including Army Intelligence Officer Premananda Udalagama who was involved in the murder case of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge has been released. Also, the last two Army Intelligence Officers who were remanded in connection with the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda, were also released last month.
gamini / December 25, 2016
Mockery of Justice! Or is it not Kekille Justice?
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Amarasiri / December 25, 2016
M.A. Sumanthiran,
“Mockery of Justice! Or is it not Kekille Justice?”
“Tamil politicians, including a Minister and activists have expressed their disappointment over the ruling by the Colombo High Court which acquitted all five suspects involved in the murder of former TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj.”
“Sumanthiran pointed out that this verdict is one reason why the TNA was continuously advocating for foreign judges to be present in an effort to maintain the independence of the judiciary, even when it comes to matters relating to war crimes.”
They were released from the day they were charged.
Want justice? Have you heard aboyt the French Revolution? The Russian Revolution etc?
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Samuel Jayaweera / December 25, 2016
“Sumanthiran pointed out that this verdict is one reason why the TNA was continuously advocating for foreign judges to be present in an effort to maintain the independence of the judiciary, even when it comes to matters relating to war crimes”
Those who respect justice and fairness will support Sumanthiran s views today more than had been last year.
We all have lost the faith in LANKEN JUGES and entire judiciary in this country. Nothing seems to work serving the justice.
Sorry, Mr Sirisena and Mr Ranil W have to update the nation why they have lost somewhere in the middle. We are no stupid as we appeared to be. Basta
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Kalu Nangi / December 26, 2016
This case should be called “The Art of Buying Judge and Jurors” and proof that the Jury too can be bought, leave alone the judiciary!
What a shocking state of affairs in this country…..!
Why not get a court order to check the mobile phones of the jurors?
Unfortunately, filthy lucre has found its way into the pockets of those dispensing justice. Unless, the President and Prime Minister takes steps to arrest this situation, it can be the beginning of another Tamil Sinhala clash.
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davidoff / December 25, 2016
Maithripala Sirisena is a sinhalese buddhist chauvanist at heart. One must also realize that he has to play to the majority gallery. It is now up to the tamil parties and people to distance themselves from this government. Although as quite rightly pointed out by former President MARA that Mithripala won the last presidential elections because of minority votes he now needs the majority community votes for his faction to come victorious at the local government elections.
As for independent judges forget about them. They are long gone in this banana republic.
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SModaya / December 26, 2016
Sinhala Buddhist Justice System Lives Upto Its Name…
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raza / December 25, 2016
Accused were not acquitted now, but the day on which the Jurors were appointed. It is the same in US when white Jurors are appointed in cases involving Black victims. It is time for global Academics to research Whether Jury system is causing massive injustice. Sometimes it can be interpreted as a Daylight robbery of Justice. Sometimes it can be treated as Fair. Arguments will continue in the field of Jurisprudence
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Ravi / December 25, 2016
who is Raviraj?????? Bloody Tiger
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jansee / December 25, 2016
Ravi:
Don’t be such a stupid donkey. Show one proof that the official govt of Sri Lanka ever labelled Raviraj as a Bloody Tiger”? Do you know that, as an immediate response to the murder, your uncle Mahinda announced the appointment of a Scotland Yard personnel to get to the bottom of the murder. Of course, that whitewash master was at it again but make you keep your dick awake to answer the question to show the proof that the offcial govt of Sri Lanka ever labelled Raviraj as a bloody tiger?
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Sinhala_Man / December 25, 2016
I won’t claim to have studied this case, or any other, so thoroughly that I can deliver a verdict, but when I see a response like this, I begin to realise that far too many of my fellow Sinhalese start off by thinking in the over-simplified way that you do, and refuse even to look at other views. Seems to me that the majority of jurors would have been persons like you, with the others not having the spine to stand up to those who would have made up their minds before the evidence began even to be led.
I had been one of My3’s most fervent supporters until I heard him protesting to an audience of armed forces personnel that “War Heroes” should not be dragged in to courts in the same way as other criminals.
Yes, what we had was a dirty war, against terrorists abhorred by the entire world; however, the evidence now emerging suggests that the standards set by the legitimate and elected government were even more depraved than those adopted by the LTTE. Prabhakaran and his ruthless supporters were able to retain a good deal of Tamil civilian support only because they did have some discipline and became ruthless mainly when ensuring that other militant groups had to be eliminated. Some of the violence aimed at us civilian Sinhalese was coldblooded, indiscriminate,horrible and is only now being matched by ISIS.
But what can we now offer Tamils? Many of us Sinhalese voted My3, and later this parliament, into office, and we hoped that there would be fair-play. As for the minorities it was their over-whelming support that clinched the elections, and what we now see is disgraceful. Come even the next local elections, I will look for non-racists to vote for, even at that level. Look no more for minority support at National Level, Maithri, Ranil and Wijedasa Rajapakshe. Even guys like me may have to decide against strategic voting; I never studied Marxism, but that may be where our votes have to go.
With people like Ravi determined to vote for the Rajapaksas, however criminal their activities, one feels that one has to prepare for the worst by 2020. And if International Sanctions are applied against us, Ravi, don’t say that you were not warned by some of us Sinhalese that we are going to pay a heavy price for verdicts of this sort. There are too many such cases for a pattern not to be seen.
As I’ve already stated, I don’t know enough (and I never will in these high profile cases) to state categorically that the jury was wrong. But clearly, in a “political case” of this sort there shouldn’t have been an all Sinhala jury.
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sama / December 25, 2016
WHOS IS RAJAPAKSHE ?
not a bloody racist ?
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Emil van der Poorten / December 26, 2016
Ravi:
I suppose that because, according to your accusation, Raviraj was a “Bloody Tiger,” it justifies his extra-judicial execution and the exoneration of those responsible for that act.
When are you going to claim that this act was in the execution of the tenets of “2500 years of Sinhala Buddhist civilization?”
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Sylvia Haik / December 27, 2016
And these same idiots want the War Crimes we are accused of, investigated by the local judges too. We once had honest politicians but they have become extinct. There was a glimmer of hope with the emergence of Maithri and Ranil but they have shown to be even more corrupt than the previous lot.
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Sriyani Mangalika / December 25, 2016
[Edited out]
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Arun / December 25, 2016
These high profile cases needs to brought before a Trial at Bar.Emotions and passions confuses jurors.
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Mrs Sivagurunathan / December 25, 2016
It’s good that Raviraj was killed as he, like Sumanthiran and Sambandhan, was a terrorist who favorued the suicide bombings of innocent Sinhalese by Tamil Tigers
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Native Vedda / December 25, 2016
Mrs Sivagurunathan
“It’s good that Raviraj was killed as he, like Sumanthiran and Sambandhan, was a terrorist who favorued the suicide bombings of innocent Sinhalese by Tamil Tigers”
Are you by any chance married to H L D Mahindapala or his dumped old flame?
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Burt / December 26, 2016
[Edited out]
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Ranjan Fernando / December 25, 2016
Forget about everything else.
Here is a Member of Parliament shot five times in broad daylight and his body guard, a member of the state police force, shot eight times, in a designated high security zone, with sworn eye witnesses.
The case comes to trial after 10 years and all the accused walk away free, fully acquitted.
How can Sirisena and RW convince anyone in the world that we have a fair system of Justice that treats everyone equally?
This is nothing but a Banana republic.
Where is Madame Chandrika? One who placed a hand on her heart and promised that this guy Gamarale Sirisena is trustworthy and fair!
He has proved to be just another Sinhala Chauvenist who is digging the channel for a divided country.
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Native Vedda / December 25, 2016
Ranjan Fernando
There is a pattern to all these investigations.
Hype the arrest, make headlines, take the accused to courts, charge them and release them.
This is another deception, sort of cheap process of Truth and Reconciliation, finally absolve everyone from alleged crimes.
The gullible people believe something is being done, in fact nothing is being done to find truth.
On the other hand the crooked politicians believe they are too smart.
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Sunil / December 27, 2016
These politicians who think they are too smart probably don’t know they are setting up a situation for international military intervention and are going to make Sri Lanka like Afganistan or worse….
All they know is this “Game of Shape” (cover up) tactics that the whole world can see through while our bellow the national average IQ of 79 politicians think they are fooling the world!
Punish the criminals instead of protecting them so that we can celebrate the true war heroes…
How the hell do these politicians justify protecting known criminals like the Rajapaksas and their criminal network!!?
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MR / December 25, 2016
I thought Sumanthiran is a good civil lawyer and not a criminal lawyer. If so why did he take up this criminal case ?
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Non PhD / December 25, 2016
This verdict clearly shows President Xi Jinpin is fully behind MS & MaRa.
MaRa group will take over the power soon with additional support from UN & Trump as well.
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Sach / December 25, 2016
LTTE has been killing government politicians for over 30 years, and no one bats an eye lid..
A pro LTTE politician was killed and ltte’s proxy, TNA wants to punish navy without any evidences.
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Native Vedda / December 26, 2016
Sachoooooooooooooo the stupid II
Are you still looking for Nuisance’s padikkama? Mrs Sivagurunathan may know where to find it. Take her with you.
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Sach / December 26, 2016
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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naren / December 25, 2016
Socratis,
You seem to be one among those Black sheep.
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naren / December 25, 2016
Native Vedda,
In all probabilities,she is a concubine of our former Head of
state.
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Shan / December 25, 2016
In a land where rulers are but wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking justice is only a wild goose chase.
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Ranjith / December 25, 2016
There is no error in verdict, because accused allegedly did the crime according their superior’s order, actually they perform their duty what they assigned for but unfortunately the superior’s were not brought before the court of law and they are protected by the so called yalpayana government
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Mallaiyuran / December 26, 2016
Your comment is different – much different than anybody else and deserved to be read.
It was said Pillayan’s finger was pointing somewhere else. But his fingers was cut by at the top level in the government as it was a boomerang at which he pointed out. Old King had said he has file on certain people in this government. It was not contested. It was not denied. But it was countered with another same statement. They two had accepted each other’s accusations. Murder did not take place on January 7th of 2015. It took place 2006. If fact the previous defense, deputy defense minister all should have been put in the court to find out the truth in Raviraj’s murder.
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Sinhala_Man / December 25, 2016
Ranjith,
Those who carried out illegal orders have to face punishment, even if it is mitigated because they were only cogs in the machine.
Yes, it is the “superiors” who have to be arraigned, but we’ve got to start somewhere. When do we start?
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justice / December 25, 2016
This verdict proves that an all-Sinhala jury will never convict members of the armed forces (and police) of murder under any circumstances, in any court in Sri Lanka, whoever the victims may be.
The judge allowed the selection of an all-Sinhala jury, knowing full well how it will decide the verdict.
In the past, a similar all-Sinhala jury found policemen and villagers ‘not guilty’ of murders of suspected LTTE members who were incarcerated in a ‘rehabilitation’ camp at Galbindunuwewa in the Bandarawela district, against overwhelming evidence.
This situation is known by the Office of the UN Human Rights Commission, and hence the approval of the Resolution proposed by USA and supported by Sri Lanka, requiring foreign judges and prosecutors to function in cases of extra-judicial killings by the armed forces and law enforcers during, before and after the war.
Minorities cannot expect justice by any court functioning with an all-Sinhala jury, in murder cases filed against members of the armed forces, police and prison staff.
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Jayagath Perera / December 26, 2016
I respectfully disagree with some of the comments.
Para 1:
Possibility of bias is there. But we cannot generalize based on two instances and without going into trial records. Both the AG’s office and the groups looking after the interests of minorities should have pressed for a High-Court-at-Bar, meaning three high court judges will hear the case. That is constituted by the Chief Justice and all the requests by the AG to do so have never been denied. As long as that option is not there, the accused has the upper hand. He can either ask for a trial without a jury heard by a single judge or with a jury that speaks a particular language. Suppose an accused asks for a jury that speaks a particular language that means all the jurors should be able to speak and understand that language and that does not mean that they should be of a particular ethnicity. There are instances of people both Sinhala and Tamil ethnicity who cannot speak and understand their respective language but only English. Such people do not qualify to be jurors if they cannot speak the language that the accused requests.
Para 2:
I think what the judge wanted was a special jury where they all have to be graduates of a University. He has to accomodate the request of the accused with regard to the language that the jurors can speak. There are rules regarding empanneling jurors. Both the prosecution and the accused can object to empannelling a juror without assgining a reason for a limited number and unlimited number of objections with reasons. At the cost of repition I must say that even a Burgher who speaks Sinhala can be empannelled if the accused requests a Sinhala speaking jury.
Para 3:
In the trial where a carnage took place in Bandarawela area, the accused were found guilty not by a jury but by a High-Court-at-Bar. In the Appeal the principle accused were acquitted. There was no jury trial.
Para 4:
Whatever, resolution or hue and cry is made the authorities have to act within the Constitution and no Foreigner can sit as a Judge as he is exercising the judicial power of the people. What can be done is to set up a commission of inquiry undeer the commssions of inquiry act consisting of foreigners as well (Bandaranaike assasination Commission and the one that probed the death of military top brass including General Kobbekaduwa) to obtain the details of violations of law. Having an impartial record of details enables the AG to cause the constitution of a High-Court-at-Bar to try for alleged misdeeds.
Para 5:
Minorities can expect justice as in the case of Krishanthy Kumaraswamy Case heard by a High-Court-at-Bar as per the request of the TNA . Biased juries? The answer is a High-Court-at-Bar.
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Mallaiyuran / December 26, 2016
This case is nothing or loss Raviraj is nothing new for Tamils. Tamils have lost many intellectuals and their servicing capacity to them in the 1948 disenfranchising and deporting to India. They lost many intellectuals to Sinhala Only and forced to stay at home. They lost more than a million to standardization and forced to take menial jobs or leave country. They lost another big number to war in the name of destroying the shield to reach LTTE. In this numbers of more than couple of millions Raviraj is only one more number.
But the serious truth behind this case is, this is trail the Yahapalanaya government took for Constitutional change. Nobody believes the Yahapalanaya government’s justice. We the local Tamils did know how the Yahapalanaya government is maneuvering to twist the murder case verdict. IC is no longer believing this government either. That is the only reason why the International Body UNHRC has specifically asked for “FOREIGN JUDGES AND LAWYERS” in the war crime investigation. Because the international community fully aware the internal justice system is biased, cheating and partial against Tamils”. So, this is not to fool IC, which the government is well aware, is now suspecting their impartiality. This time the Yahapalanaya Government is not trying fooling IC this way. It is openly asking them to let the war crime go in exchange for another favor(In their opinion allowing the Tamils have their natural rights, without suppressing it, is favor they are doing to IC) they would do for IC. That is amending the Sinhala Only constitution and let Tamils have some partial rights. This is the bargaining chip government has offered to IC. REMEMBER, THE YAHAPALANAYA GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER TELLING THE UNHRC THAT IT WILL DO LOCALLY AN IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION AND NOT ASKING TO BRING THE DOWN THE FOREIGN JUDGES AND LAWYERS TO LOCAL JUDGES AND LAWYERS”. The reason for the change in mind for not asking permission to locally investigate may because it had said in the election manifesto that it will not investigate any leader, any commander or any soldier so, it want to hold on the promise it gave to Sinhala mass, or it can be for the reason that it thinks the UNHRC may not believe in its faith doing an impartial inquiry locally. The truth is, it had moved away from requesting the UNHRC to allow it to investigate locally. The bargain, it is offering to let the war crime investigation to go completely off, is the favor of changing the constitution to devolve partial power to Tamils. Though it is offering to the IC it as a bargain item, everybody knows, now, including the IC that the government does not even want to change the constitution. So IC may use mechanisms to push to through the parliament, which is the end of the Yahapalanaya’s part in constitutional change. If the situations have gone that far and that bad to Government, then how to defeat the constitutional change that has got out of its hand and fool again the IC is the current question Yahapalanaya is analyzing. Their assured canon for this is to put the devolution packets only to a Sinhala Jury only referendum. The Yahapalanaya government is testing with a small sample of that Sinhala Jury, if in the event they put the devolution clauses to Sinhala Mahajan, will it grab ball and act properly or mess it up?
Here it has received the satisfactory reply from the Sinhala Jury. A man is murdered. Beyond his own life, beyond he too have a family, he is a representative of Tamils. That is his family is a full district. He is murdered. The entire Tamil community, even going beyond the borders of his district, is mourning,. For 10 years this case has been dragged. Many foreign organizations have shown interest in the investigation. The full proof of the murder has been pulled out by their community investigators. Nobody suggested these names to them. It is not Tamils’ lawyers identified these army and navy officers as the murderers. It is that they themselves did it. Further, everybody does know that these guys are not Kegalle Jayamanne, selected to die to save the original criminals. The case was presented with all legal procedures without legal technical glitches. It is behind this presentation the Sinhala Only Jury decided, without any regard to the watching world, to acquit the apparent criminals. They are fully confident they can explain. Now the government is confident that the racist mass is also ready for the referendum.
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Jayagath Perera / December 27, 2016
Rhetoric will not foster the unity of people but division. What is the price of division? Loss of life. Both sides of the divide can level accusations. For instance one group can say that through standardisation there was discrimnation and another would claim that it was an effective tool against exam fraud committed for a number of years based on ethnicity. All that would only divide our people.
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Mallaiyuran / December 27, 2016
You misunderstand the point. The unity forced to make by Britain through the unitary government in the eagor on getting Trinco harbour is the one created genocide. Britain now knows that. They say there is no point in trying to attach together the baked clay and fresh clay. You you can do anything, but they can not hold together.
For about your misunderstanding on standardization, pls read Ratnajeevan Hoole’s essay on the other thread. If you cannot get the points from that essay, read once more my reason above for why we can not be together. That will enlighten your minds determination to explain a cheat that you honestly not denouncing but saying ” they would claim… you would claim”. After writing that if you had read it for yourself, you would have understood why a sincere reconciliation is not possible.
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Native Vedda / December 26, 2016
Jayagath Perera
You got a point or two.
It could be true the highly respected judges cannot be influenced by the outsiders. However, one could find a judge who would comply with what is expected of him/her.
It is also generally true juries are drawn from people of honesty, integrity, man and woman of standing … Though, jury nobbling is not part and partial of this island’s culture where we value our extended relatives and friends much more than justice.
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Jayagath Perera / December 27, 2016
Alas! There is a degradation of standards every where, even of judges all over the world. But fortunately not a majority of them. What accusations can be levelled in a Sri Lankan judge is applicable to a judge outside Sri Lanka as well. Therefore I don’t buy the slogan that everything should be foreign. However, there is a need to cultivate human values particularly amongst Sri Lankans as that is an essential component that fosters amity.
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Kugan / December 25, 2016
The prez promised to safeguard the murderers and looters his priority is his old king.
Feb 4th you could see Duminda will be on the road with his kudu business.
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ranjith(sprrw) / December 25, 2016
Last year or two years back, Jaffna high court given death penalty on RDF soldier for suspected killing of Tamil civilian.judge was a Tamil person but sinhalese never criticised judge or judiciary though soldier was on military mission looking for disguise LTTE terrorists in hostile land. his job was to destroy suspected terrorists as much as possible. he had no measuring equipment to distinguished civilians from LTTE carders in very hostile land he operated but got death penalty by a tamil judge. no issue raised by anybody. here everybody point finger at judiciary. why
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Simon De Silva / December 26, 2016
Ranjith, how dare you the like compare with the current murder ?
Is that because you are said tobe born to a YANTHRA manthra family.
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ranjith(sprrw) / December 26, 2016
if judgement is unacceptable there are options to be done not to criticize judiciary with racist comments.go for those options without insulting
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Ranjan Fernando / December 27, 2016
Ranjith, wake up from your slumber. This is an outright travesty of justice. Forget about ethnicities and the bias.
Here a member of parliament was shot five times and his state appointed body guard shot 8 times in the middle of the day in a Areai marked as high security zone. The assailants were identified by eye witnesses.
What is your problem?
Do you think the Judge acted impartially? If a jury gave a blatantly unacceptable verdict, the judge has the right to call for a retrial. That would have happened in any civilised part of the world. Not in banana republics.
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Sylvia Haik / December 27, 2016
Ranjan Fernando. I totally agree. A more palatable verdict should have been “Unlawful killing by person or persons unknown” and let the investigations continue. This cocksure verdict by this judge is rotten to the core and smacks of government interference.
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s.c.perera / December 26, 2016
No matter whether Raviraj has been a terrorist or an innocent civilian, law should be common and impartial to everyone. What we have to consider is , are there any reasons to acquit those soldiers. If the testimony produced before the court, was not clearly proved, then they should be acquitted. If there hasn’t been a fair trial then AG’s department should make an appeal, as they have done in the past regarding the “millennium city murder case”, in which AG requested a strong punishment to the culprit.
Remember one thing, If, today, the law is not impartial for Tamils, then tomorrow it will not be impartial for Sinhalese too.
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Rohan / December 26, 2016
Big names are linked with the case. Certainly the Former Secretary of Defense would have had his finger-prints all around. Then, this would show to the wide world the government’s direct involvement in political assassinations. No wonder how this game was played!
Army conceded they provided the weapons…..
One of the accused become an approver and pointed every step of the incident, including escape plan. The auto used in the event was identified. Even the person who pulled the trigger was identified. There was nothing confusing and there was no doubt. But, the decision by the jury was based on reasoning that the five accused cannot be convicted solely on the fact that witnesses in the case identified them. WOW…
The jury comprised of all Sinhala speaking people, chosen from stet employees at high positions.
KV Thavarasa represented the grieving party. MA Sumanthiran represented the family’s interest.
Justice? How much is a kilogram?
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naren / December 26, 2016
Ranjith,
Raping and killing by army of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and killing her mother,brother and neighbour when they went in search of her way back in nineties was also in the line of their defense duty?
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Seen the light / December 26, 2016
It is very unfortunate that the long war and the loss of lives have not taught anything to the Sinhalese politicians. And by extension the Sinhalese with extreme views have not learned much either. It was the unfair system and a politically influenced judiciary that operated in Sri Lanka created the likes of Pirabhakaran and many others. The acquital of these Military Intelligence personal will have the effect of sowing the seeds for other Pirabhakarans to rise up against a system which is against the interest of the Tamil people. Reckless!!
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Mohamed / December 26, 2016
All TNA members are Tamilian Tigers. That is why they always supported the Tigers. It is a well known fact!
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Adrian / December 26, 2016
MS is the murderer now.
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Barus / December 26, 2016
An utter travesty of justice.This country and its rulers want all minorities eliminated.It is a Sinhala Buddhist state, no questioning that stance anymore.
Their next step would be to openly call all minorities to shut up or locked up. Killing a human is no more a crime , when the majority community does it?
God save this beautiful country from unjust administration.
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MR / December 26, 2016
Jayagath Perera
Thanks for your information.
Do you know any reason why A.G’s office and Thavarasa & Sumanthiran ( representing / looking after the interest of Raviraj family ) did not press for High Court at bar at the beginning.
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punchinilame / December 26, 2016
Objections were raised by H.R. and M.Sumanthiran, the Judge over-ruled same, as repeatedly
disclosed in the news.
One witness directly stated that the ex-D-S- pad Rs. 50,000/- to Karuna for this job- If
so why wasn`t. that verified by either the CID or the Court summoning them for further
clarification?
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Banished / December 26, 2016
The Verdict should’ve been like this
The mentally ill Raviraj jumped off his prado and pulled the gun from one of the suspect and got back his prado then shot himself several times ….easy peasy jumbo judgement ….is it because he is Tamil…?
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Sena / December 26, 2016
Either Raviraj and his driver shot themselves or God himself shot them. Real pathetic situation. It all big mockery, utter waste of time and money for this big drama and comedy of the century.
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Wera / December 27, 2016
So all the two bit legal experts have come out in full force to support the verdict and sow doubt on the very real and obvious problems with this verdict. You cannot allow a all Sinhela jury in a trial such as this. This goes to the hart of the matter of the judge being prejudiced toward the defendants. It was revealed in open court in the course of testimony that Gotabaya Rajapakshe was involved in paying money to the culprits for carrying out this murder. Yet Gotabaya Rajapakshe was not questioned. More evidence of prejudice. Eyewitness testimony was given with regards to one of the suspects who was seen shooting at the scene of the crime. More evidence of prejudice. High falluting legal arguments can be made but justice must be seen to have been done. It has not. The work of the investigating officers and the AGs department wasted. It was obvious from the very inception of this government that the judiciary was corrupt and if any cases such as this one were to be conducted correctly then a major clean up was due prior to taking these cases to trial. This was not done due to COWERDICE and the lack of a BACKBONE commonly called the lack of political will. These are the consequences.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / December 28, 2016
The only two bit legal expert seems to be Suma who couldn’t manage a conviction even in this supposedly “slam dunk” case :D
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