Prof. Thamilmaran, senior DIG Lalith Jayasinghe to be arrested soon!
May 26, 2016
The CID is due to arrest dean of Colombo University’s law faculty Prof. V.T. Thamilmaran and former Jaffna, and prently Batticaloa, senior DIG Lalith A. Jayasinghe over the gang rape and murder of Sivayoganathan Vidya, a 17 year-old student of Punguditivu Central College, about a year ago, for having aided and abetted the main suspect Mahalingam Sasikumar alias Swiss Kumar, providing him protection in the official police quarters and helping a criminal to escape, say police headquarters sources.
Eight suspects are presently in remand custody over this crime – Swiss Kumar, Pubalasingham Indrakumar, Pubalasingham Jeyakumar, Mahalingam Sasidaran and four others.
CID investigations have revealed that Swiss Kumar and Thamilmaran were from the same village. Based on that friendship, Thamilmaran has asked his former student, senior DIG Jayasinghe, to save his friend. Even at newspaper interviews, Thamilmaran has admitted that Jayasinghe was a student of his.
He had especially gone from Colombo to Jaffna and stayed at Jayasinghe’s official quarters to help Swiss Kumar to escape. By that time, people of Pungudutivu had caught and bound the culprit. At his ex-teacher’s request, Jayasinghe had sent a team led by a sub inspector and despite objections by the villagers, got Swiss Kumar released and gave him to Jaffna police custody.
Thereafter, on Jayasinghe’s instructions the rapist was admitted to Jaffna Hospital for treatment. Later, at Thamilmaran’s request, Swiss Kumar was secretly taken under police protection to Kilinochchi and from there to Colombo, CID investigations have also revealed.
Coming to know about this, Pungudutivu villagers awaited Thamilmaran’s arrival and took him and his daughter into house arrest. Thamilmaran was able to inform Jayasinghe about his plight, and the senior DIG had gone there with armed policemen and got the two freed, on the promise given in writing that Swiss Kumar would be arrested. Thereafter, the Kayts headquarters inspector requested the Wellawatta headquarters inspector to immediately arrest him and take him to Jaffna.
On the day Swiss Kumar was produced before the Jaffana magistrate’s court, Jayasinghe too went there. Seeing him, the magistrate became angry and ordered him to leave the court immediately. The magistrate remanded Swiss Kumar. Police produced to court a slipper and a pair of earrings worn by Vidya. In addition, a cattle-keeper and a small girl were produced as eyewitnesses to the crime.
Swiss Kumar’s past record as rapist
The CID has also uncovered details of Swiss Kumar’s past records of being a rapist. He has videoed women being gang-raped and showed them to his friends and also posted the videos on the internet.
An EPDP member and Pradeshiya Sabha driver living in Pungudutivu had tried to start an affair with Vidya, but she had rejected him directly. One day, he had waited for her return from school and tried to grab her hand, but the girl beat him up with her slippers. Shamed in front of all, the man had plotted to take revenge from Vidya. He also had the support of two youths who were on bad terms with Vidya’s family over a court case. It was Swiss Kumar who had given them the idea of raping the girl. He had also provided money to buy liquor, and the camera to video the rape.
On the day of the incident, Vidya left home around 7.00 am, but was abducted by the gang. They took her to an abandoned house and raped her until midday, videoing it in the process. By the time police seized the camera, its chip had gone missing, but using technology, the footage was retrieved.
When Vidya did not come home in the afternoon, her family went to Kayts police to lodge a complaint. Police told them that she might have eloped with her boyfriend and return in a couple of days. But, the police became alarmed after her body was found from the abandoned house. She had been strangled with a shoe lace.
Two suspects had confessed before the Jaffana magistrate that they had raped the girl. CID investigations into the crime have been completed and a high court trial-at-bar will hear the case. Before, that Prof. Thamilmaran and senior DIG Jayasinghe will be arrested for questioning over the above-mentioned charges.
