Bail denied for Maheswaran murder suspects

Chief Magistrate Raveendra Premaratna Monday denied the bail appeal submitted on behalf of Francis Sutharsan, the second accused charged in connection with the assassination of T.Maheswaran, Colombo district United National Party(UNP) and Member of parliament, legal sources in Colombo said. The magistrate instructed the police to continue to keep the suspect in detention until further notice. Maheswaran was shot dead on New year day within the premises of Ponnampala Va'neasvarar temple, Colombo.

Police arrested five suspects including two women in connection with the assassination of Maheswaran and have interrogated them. Three of the suspects except the first suspect, Johnson Collin Valentine and the second suspect Francis Suthersan, were released on bail on 7 March.

Both suspects kept in detention were produced at the courts during Monday’s bail hearing.

The attorney-at-law appearing for the second suspect submitted a bail appeal stating that his client has been kept in detention for a number of weeks and appealed to the Magistrate to release the accused on bail.

Crime Prevention Police present during the hearing objected to the bail appeal and said the investigations into the murder is not yet completed and is still being continued.

The magistrate accepting the objection raised by police ordered the accused to be continued to be kept in detention and postponed the case till 27 March.

Source: Tamilnet