Suspect in Nimalarajan murder allowed reduced bail

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2004, 17:27 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate, Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, on the orders of the Court of Appeal on Monday allowed the fourth suspect, Mr.Balachchandran Uthayapavan, in the Jaffna Journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan' murder case, on bond signed by two sureties, who should be government servants, for one hundred thousand rupees each. The suspect is a member of a Tamil paramilitary group, the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), legal sources said.

The Police in connection with the Journalist Nimalarajan murder case arrested five suspects at the initial stage. Later at one stage, three were allowed in bail and the remaining two, including Mr. Uthayabavan, were remanded. Mr. Uthayabavan filed a bail application in the Jaffna High Court, legal sources said.

After inquiry, the Jaffna HC Judge, Mr.K.P.S.Varatharaja, made an order allowing bail for the suspect with four government servants as sureties signing a bond each for one hundred thousand rupees. The suspect appealed against the Jaffna HC order in the Court of Appeal, seeking the court to reduce the bail, legal sources said.

The Court of Appeal ordered the suspect be allowed that it was enough for two government servants to sign as sureties, legal sources said.

When the Journalist Nimalarajan murder case was taken up for further inquiry Monday, the order of the Court of Appeal was produced in court.

Thereafter the Magistrate allowed the suspect, Mr. Uthayapalan, on bail as directed by the Court of Appeal in its order, legal sources said.

All the five suspects in this case are members of the EPDP. Of the five, four suspects have been enlarged on bail, and only Mr.Kanthasamy Jegatheeswaran is still being kept in remand, legal sources said.

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