ER case accused allowed bail after 12 years

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 July 2003, 14:08 GMT]
The East High Court Judge Mr.S.Paramarajah Friday allowed surety bail for Thangarajah Sivakantharajah and Selvam Lingaretnam, who had been in remand for about twelve years accused in a case in which they have been indicted by the Attorney General under the Emergency Regulations (ER) with the murder of six persons in a bomb blast in the year 1992, legal sources said.

This case was transferred to East High Court on the orders of the Attorney General last month from the special High Court which has been set up in the Welikada prison in order to expedite the disposal of several cases pending under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Emergency Regulations, legal sources said.


The second accused Thangarajah Sivakantharajah, third from left with his sister and grandfather after being bailed out. (click for a larger picture)

When the case was taken up for inquiry at the Trincomalee session of the East High Court Friday, the defence counsel Mr.K.Sivapalan submitted to court that the accused Selvam Lingaretnam, father of three children and Thangaraja Sivakantharajah have been in remand for about twelve years. The partly heard case in the Welikada prison special High Court has now been transferred to East High Court for further hearing. He made an application to the court to allow the accused on bail and to conduct the inquiry from the start (DENOVUE), legal sources said.

State Counsel Mr.S.M.Halimdeen submitted to court that he would not object bail but the accused should be released on bail on stringent conditions, legal sources said.


The first accused Selvam Lingaretnam with his wife after being bailed out (click for a larger picture)

Thereafter the High Court Judge allowed the two accused on surety bail. Each accused should furnish two male sureties and each should sign a bond for a sum of rupees 50,000/=. The trial in the case has been fixed September 8, 2003. The accused were further ordered to report to the Chinabay Police every Sunday till the trial in the case is over, legal sources said.

The accused Selvam Lingaretnam was arrested on 18.7.1992 and the second on 8.9.1992. When the first accused was arrested his wife was six month pregnant. She gave birth to a son who is now eleven years of age came to court to see his father at the last date of trial, court sources said.