Raviraj MP killing: Court of Appeal orders retrial after AG contests acquittal

Former TNA MP N. Raviraj was shot dead in November 2006, Colombo. 

The Court of Appeal has set aside the acquittal of all accused in the assassination case of former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj, directing that a retrial be conducted before the High Court.

The persons indicted in the case were then Navy intelligence officers Hettiarachchi Mudiyansekage Prasad Chandana Kumara, also known as Sampath; Daliwala Gedara Gamini Senevirathna of Makelwela; Kankanamlage Pradeep Chaminda, also known as Vajira; and Karuna Group (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal) activists Sivakanthan Vivekanandan, also known as Charan, and Fabian Royston Tussaint.

They were initially charged alongside the first accused, Palanasami Suresh alias Sami, who is now deceased.

They were acquitted by the High Court of Colombo following a jury trial. However, the Attorney General appealed against the verdict, contending that the trial was affected by serious legal shortcomings.

Initially, the case was heard before a special jury in 2016, which returned a unanimous verdict acquitting all accused. The Attorney General subsequently challenged the ruling, citing shortcomings in the trial process.

The Court of Appeal held that the High Court Judge had failed to properly guide the jury, particularly in relation to evaluating the evidence of an accomplice witness who had been granted a conditional pardon and whose testimony was central to the prosecution.

The bench also noted concerns over the manner in which the jury was addressed, observing that the judge’s directions extended late into the night, with proceedings continuing until around 11:00 p.m. and the verdict delivered shortly after midnight.

After reviewing the record, the Court of Appeal determined that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with the case and ruled that the acquittal should be set aside.

Deputy Solicitor General Suharshie Herath appeared for the prosecution and argued the appeal.

In its ruling delivered on March 26, 2026, Justice Sasi Mahendran held that the High Court Judge had failed to properly direct the jury on the evidentiary value of certain witnesses.

Accordingly, the acquittal was set aside, and a retrial was ordered against all the accused, marking a significant development in the long-running case.

The victim, Nadarajah Raviraj, was a Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian. He was shot dead in November 2006 in Colombo. (The Sunday Times)