Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in Vidya Murder Case

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has scheduled November 6 to hear the appeal filed by the convicted individuals in the high-profile rape and murder case of 18-year-old schoolgirl Sivagloganathan Vidya from Jaffna.

The decision was made before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice P. Padman Surasena, Justices Achala Wengappuli, and Sampath Abeykoon. 

The bench convened to consider the appeal petitions submitted by the defense counsel representing the seven individuals sentenced to death by the Jaffna High Court in 2017.

The defense attorney informed the court that it had taken over four and a half years to obtain Tamil translations of the case documents, which had delayed the appeal process. Citing this delay, the attorney requested an expedited hearing date.

Responding to the request, Chief Justice Jayawardena assured that a short date would be granted to ensure the appeal is heard promptly. 

Accordingly, the Supreme Court fixed November 6 as the date for the hearing.

The original incident occurred on March 3, 2015, when Vidya was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered while returning home from school. The case sparked national outrage and led to widespread calls for justice.

In 2017, the Jaffna High Court sentenced seven individuals, including the main accused "Swiss Kumar," to death. 

The convicts have now appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the death sentence was unlawful and seeking acquittal.