Trial against former SL minister held through video conference

Former Sri Lankan Minister Dougles Devananda, an accused in a 29-year-old murder case here, today appeared in a sessions court through video conference.
Devananda appeared through video from the Indian High Commissioner's office in Colombo.
From the prosecution side, four witnesses were produced and only one could identify him.
While Gurumoorthy identified him, Panneer Selvam and Mani could not identify Devananda while Veera Muthu told the Additional Sessions Judge M Shanti that the person appearing in the video seems to be the person to whom he had seen.
After today's proceedings, the judge posted the case for further hearing to March 15.

Devananda is the third accused in the 1987 shootout at Choolaimedu here in which one person was killed. Though nine persons have been arrested, they absconded after being released on bail.

A non-bailable warrant had been issued against them.
Devananda later became a Minister in the Rajapakse government. Though he was part of a delegation that had visited India in 2006 at the end of the civil war in the island nation, he was not arrested due to diplomatic immunity.
The Madras High Court had earlier ordered to split the case and conduct trial against Devananda. The other accused, all Sri Lankan Tamils, would face trial as and when they are apprehended and produced before the court.