Former SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Aiding Suspect’s Escape in Vidya Murder Case

The Vavuniya High Court has sentenced former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Lalith Jayasinghe to four years of rigorous imprisonment for facilitating the escape of a suspect involved in the brutal murder of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya in 2015.

Delivering the verdict, High Court Judge M.M. Mihar also imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on Jayasinghe. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of imprisonment.

Vidya, an 18-year-old student from Punkudutivu, Jaffna, was abducted, gang-raped, and murdered on May 13, 2015, while returning home from school. Following the incident, local residents captured the main suspect, identified as 'Swiss Kumar,' and handed him over to the police. However, Jayasinghe was later found guilty of aiding the suspect’s escape while in custody.

Jayasinghe was arrested on July 15, 2017, by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). After a detailed trial, the High Court ruled that the prosecution had proven the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

Additionally, the court issued open warrants against Sri Gajan, a former Sub-Inspector of the Crime Investigation Division of the Kytes Police, who was also implicated in the case.

The verdict marks a significant development in the pursuit of justice for Vidya’s murder, a case that sparked widespread public outrage across Sri Lanka.