Court of Appeal Affirms death sentence

The Court of Appeal has affirmed the death sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court against the main accused convicted of committing the murder of former UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheswaran. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal decided to dismiss the appeal filed by main accused Jonson Collin Valentino Alias Wasanthan citing the appeal has failed to hold any merit. Late T. Maheswaran was the Colombo District United National Party (UNP) legislator and former Hindu Affairs Minister. He was shot dead at the Sri Ponnabala Vaneshwara Kovil in Kotahena on 1th of January, 2008. The gunman who shot him was arrested when Maheswaran’s bodyguard returned fire and wounded him. On August 27, 2012, the accused was convicted and sentenced to death for having murdered Thangaraja Maheshwaran and Chandrakumar Mahindan, committing the offence of murder punishable under section 296 of the Penal Code. Court of Appeal bench comprising Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice R. Gurusinghe observed that the evidence given by the Government Analyst had proven that the bullets which had been found from the deceased's body were similar to the bullets of the weapon which had been produced as the weapon used by the accused to shoot the deceased.   "When I consider the evidence lead before the learned High Court Judge, it is crystal clear that the accused had brutally murdered Thangaraja Maheshwaran and Chandrakumar Mahindan with the intention of killing," Justice Bandula Karunaratne observed.