Court of Appeal orders retrial in Raviraj assassination case | Daily FT
Analysis Summary
- Propaganda Score
- 0% (confidence: 95%)
- Summary
- The Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka overturned a previous acquittal in the 2006 assassination of former MP Nadarajah Raviraj, ordering a retrial due to procedural shortcomings in the original trial. The decision cited issues with jury instructions and the handling of an accomplice witness's testimony.
Fact-Check Results
“The Court of Appeal has directed a fresh trial in the assassination of former Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj, overturning the earlier acquittal of the accused, including three Navy intelligence officers.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm or refute the Court of Appeal's decision regarding the assassination case.
“The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices B. Sasi Mahendran and Amal Ranaraja on March 26, 2026, following an appeal by the Attorney General against the Colombo High Court’s verdict.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify the specific bench composition or date of the Court of Appeal ruling.
“The accused had been indicted on charges including conspiracy to assassinate MP Raviraj, causing his death, and the killing of Police Constable Lakshman, who was travelling with him at the time.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm the charges against the accused in the case.
“The case was heard before a special jury in 2016, which returned a unanimous verdict acquitting all accused.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify the 2016 special jury proceedings or acquittal.
“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.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm the Court of Appeal's findings about the judge's instructions.
“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.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify details about the jury instructions and verdict timing.
“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.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm the Court of Appeal's determination about sufficient evidence.
“Nadarajah Raviraj was shot dead in Colombo in November 2006 along with his police bodyguard, in an incident that drew widespread local and international attention.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify the circumstances of Nadarajah Raviraj's assassination.