The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today affirmed the death sentences imposed by the High Court Trial-at-Bar on four men, including ‘Swiss Kumar’, over the 2015 abduction, gang rape, and murder of 18-year-old schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya in Jaffna.
The case traces back to May 13, 2015, when Vidya was abducted, assaulted, and killed while returning home from school in Punkuduthivu.
The story of Vidya’s abuse and torture sent shockwaves across the country.
In 2017, seven individuals were sentenced to death by the Jaffna High Court Trial-at-Bar after being found guilty based on the evidence presented. The subsequent appeals sought to overturn the High Court virdict or reduce the sentence.
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena dismissed the appeals filed by the accused, rejecting their bids for acquittal.
However, in a notable turn, the court cleared two other individuals previously linked to the case.
Reflecting the courts’ gradual shift toward digital proceedings, three of the convicted defendants appeared via Zoom.
Meanwhile, it was noted that one of the accused died during the course of the appeal hearings.
