Ex-SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe jailed for aiding Swiss Kumar’s escape
Former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Lalith Jayasinghe has been sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by the Vavuniya High Court.
The verdict was announced today (February 20) in connection with the case in which he was accused of aiding and abetting the escape of Mahalingam Shashikumar, also known as “Swiss Kumar,” the main suspect in the 2015 murder of 18-year-old S. Vidya, a schoolgirl from Punkudutivu, Jaffna.
The case was prosecuted by Senior State Counsel Nishanth Nagaratnam.
Lalith Jayasinghe was accused of facilitating Swiss Kumar’s release from police custody after he had been apprehended by local residents and handed over to the authorities.
In 2017, a three-member bench of the Jaffna High Court sentenced Swiss Kumar and seven other defendants to death for their involvement in Vidya’s murder.
Following the incident, former SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe faced serious allegations regarding his role in protecting Swiss Kumar. As a result, he was arrested and remanded but was later released on bail.
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