Court orders 2nd identification parade in Maheswaran case

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 15:52 GMT]
The Colombo Additional Magistrate Ravindra Premaratne Monday ordered that the sole suspect arrested in connection with the killing of Colombo district parliamentarian, Mr.Thiagarajah Maheswaran, on January 1 at Ponnambalavaneswarar Temple should be produced in court on January 25 for a second identification parade, legal sources said.

The court made this directive following a request by the lawyers watching the interests of the deceased parliamentarian that the first identification parade held in contravention to the law laid in the statue.

The State Counsel also made an application to court to hold the second identification parade.

Lawyers on behalf of relatives of the deceased parliamentarian informed court that witnesses are afraid to come forward to identify the suspect through fear and intimidation.

Police officers informed court that witnesses would be provided with adequate security.

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