Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.

In this case the Attorney General has indicted eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army for murdering thirty-five Tamil civilians including fourteen children on August 9, 1992 at Mylanthanai village in the Batticaloa district.

The prosecution led evidence to state that the accused had entered the Mylanthanai village and murdered the Tamil civilians on the day of incident, which followed the killing of the Major general Densil Hobbekaduwa and seven other high military officials in a landmine attack at Jaffna.

The defence denied that the accused had involved in this crime

This case first came up for inquiry in the Batticaloa High Court. But later the case was transferred to Colombo High Court on an application made by the accused that their security when attending courts in Batticaloa was at risk.

About thirty-five witnesses gave evidence when the inquiry commenced in the Colombo High Court. The accused gave evidence from the dock. Thereafter the prosecution took three days to address the Jury. The defence counsel took four days to address the jury. The HC Judge commenced his charge to the Jury last Monday and continued till Friday.

The HC Judge would continue his charge to the Jury Monday for about two hours and thereafter the Jury will be asked to deliver their verdict after consultation among them, court sources said.

President Counsel Mr.Daya Perera appeared for the accused. Attorney at-Law Mr.K.S.Ratnavelu with Attorney-at-Law Mr. S.Shanmugalingam watched the interests of the deceased.