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Suspect in Vidya murder case dies by suicide in Jaffna Prison
A suspect remanded in connection with the rape and murder of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya has reportedly died by suicide while in custody at the Jaffna Prison, according to prison authorities.
Death row inmate in Vidya murder case dies by suicide - Sri Lanka
Posted by ONLANKA Newsroom on May 25, 2026 - 9:51 am A suspect sentenced to death over the rape and murder of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya in Jaffna has died by suicide while in custody at Jaffna Prison, according to prison authorities. The deceased was identified as 46-year-old Poobalasingham Jeyakumar. The Department of Prisons said he died by suicide last night (May 24) while being held at the Jaffna Prison. The murder of Vidya in 2015 triggered massive public outrage across Sri Lanka and became one of the country’s most high-profile criminal cases. Following the trial, a three-judge Trial-at-Bar sentenced four accused, including Swiss Kumar, to death over the crime. Earlier this month, on May 6, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld those death sentences after dismissing appeals filed by the accused seeking acquittal and release. The ruling was delivered by a five-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. However, the Supreme Court also ordered that the sentences imposed on two other accused be set aside. At the time the judgment was delivered, the deceased suspect and two other convicts sentenced to death appeared before the court virtually through Zoom. Home » Death row inmate in Vidya murder case dies by suicide
Convicted Rapist in Vithiya Killing Ends Life Behind Bars
COLOMBO (News 1st); A man sentenced to death over the brutal rape and murder of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vithiya has died by suicide while in custody at the Jaffna Prison, prison authorities confirmed.The deceased has been identified as 46-year-old Poobalasingam Jeyakumar, who was named as the second accused in the case and had been convicted for his role in the crime. According to the Department of Prisons, he had taken his own life by hanging inside his prison cell where he was being held.Jeyakumar was among four individuals who had been sentenced to death over the widely condemned crime, which shocked the nation. Earlier this month, on May 6, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences imposed on the four convicts, cementing the earlier verdict delivered by lower courts.The group of convicted individuals whose death sentences were confirmed by the Supreme Court included Poobalasingam Jeyakumar, Mahalingam Sashikumar also known as Swiss Kumar, Thilainathan Chandrahason also known as Chandra, and Sivadev Thushithan also referred to as Periyathambi.In the same ruling, the Supreme Court acquitted and released two other accused in the case, Mahalingam Saseetharan, also known as Shashi, and Jayatharan Kokilan, after overturning their convictions.The killing of Sivaloganathan Vithiya dates back to May 13, 2015, when the schoolgirl was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in a case that drew outrage across Sri Lanka.
Death row inmate in Vidya murder case found dead in Jaffna prison
A death row inmate convicted in the high‑profile rape and murder of schoolgirl Sivalloganathan Vidya in Jaffna has reportedly died by suicide while being held at the Jaffna Prison. According to the Police, the inmate took his own life last night (24) while at the prison.
