Nadarajah Raviraj

Nadarajah Raviraj (, ; 25 June 1962 – 10 November 2006) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician who served as Mayor of Jaffna in 2001 and a Member of Parliament for Jaffna District from 2001 to 2006. A member of the Tamil National Alliance, he was shot dead on 10 November 2006 in Colombo.

Early life and family Nadarajah Raviraj was born 25 June 1962. His family were from Chavakachcheri in northern Ceylon. Both of his parents were teachers – his father taught at Chavakachcheri Hindu College and his mother taught at Chavakachcheri Hindu Ladies College. Raviraj was educated at Chavakachcheri Hindu College, Drieberg College, Chavakachcheri and St. John's College, Jaffna. They had a daughter (Praveena) and son (Yuthishthran).

Career Raviraj became an attorney at law of the Supreme Court in November 1987. He then started a private practice firm, Raviraj and Associates, which specialised in Prevention of Terrorism Act and Emergency Regulations cases. Following the assassination of its mayoral nominee Pon Mathimugarajah on 26 December 1998, the TULF decided not to appoint a mayor which resulted in Raviraj, who was deputy mayor, becoming de facto mayor.

Raviraj was appointed to the TULF politburo in 2000. He became the TULF's Administrative Secretary in 2001. Raviraj contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District. On 28 November 2001 the TNA, including Raviraj, were campaigning in Naranthanai on Velanaitivu when they were attacked by the Eelam People's Democratic Party, a government backed paramilitary group, as Sri Lanka Navy personnel looked on. Two TNA activists were killed and several others, including Raviraj, were injured. Raviraj was elected and entered Parliament. He subsequently resigned as Mayor of Jaffna.

Death On 9 November 2006, Raviraj led a demonstration outside the UNICEF office in Colombo protesting against the Vaharai bombing in which 45 civilians were killed by army shelling. The following morning Raviraj took part in a live discussion on TV Derana between 7.00am and 7.30am. Afterwards he returned to his home in Manning Town, Narahenpita, had breakfast and changed for work. Raviraj's body had to be flown to northern Sri Lanka because the Sri Lankan government refused to open the A9 highway.

Raviraj's assassination received condemnation from around the world. The TNA blamed the assassination on paramilitaries working with the army. The University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) quoted sources as saying that the main organiser of the assassination was former air force member Nishantha Gajanayake, an employee of defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The UTHR further claimed that the assassination was carried out by the Karuna Group/Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) with the assistance of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) paramilitary group, military intelligence and a Buddhist monk affiliated with the Jathika Hela Urumaya. EPDP leader Douglas Devanananda denied any involvement in the assassination.

A shadowy anti-LTTE group calling itself Seerum Padai (Aggressive Army) claimed responsibility for the assassination, saying that it was a "serious message to those who betray our homeland".

Investigation Raviraj's assassination took place in the heart of Colombo near a security force base and on a stretch of road between police checkpoints. According to the police many people witnessed the assassination and came forward to give information. After initial reservations about the possibility that the suspects may face the death penalty, five British detectives arrived in Sri Lanka on 4 January 2007 to assist the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department (CID). After sharing their expertise, the British detectives left Sri Lanka on 13 January 2007, taking some evidence for further forensic tests.

The police investigation found that the motorcycle used in the assassination had been bought by Arul from brokers Nalaka Mathakadeera (Matagaweere) and Ravindra. Arul had been living at the house of S. K. T. Jayasuriya. Mathakadeera and Jayasuriya were arrested but both were later released on bail when investigations revealed that they were not in Colombo at the time of the assassination. Three navy personnel (Lt. Commander Munasinghe Aarachchige Don Nishantha Sampath Munasinghe, Lt. Commander Hettiarachchi Mudiyanselage Prasad Chandana Kumara Hettiarachchi alias Sampath and Petty Officer Deliwala Gedara Gamini Seneviratne alias Senevi) were arrested by the CID in March 2015 in connection with Raviraj's assassination. A total of nine suspects were listed in connection with the assassination. The rickshaw involved in the assassination was recovered by the CID in June 2015. In November 2015 former soldier Nalaka Mathakadeera, J. L. Mahinda and Tennis Aruna Shantha Edirisinghe were arrested in connection with the assassination. Pillayan then gave the weapon to Sivakanthan Vivekanandan alias Charan who then handed it to Seneviratne. A fourth navy personnel, Lieutenant Commander Munasinghe Arachchige Nilantha Sampath Munasinghe alias Navy Sampath, was charged in December 2015. Three of the seven charged, Suresh, Toussaint and Vivekanandan, are not in custody. Vivekanandan is believed to be in Switzerland. Another suspect, former Police Constable Sampath Prithiviraj Wijeya Wickrema Manamperige Sanjaya Preethi Viraj, had turned state witness.

Trial and acquittal The trial of the six suspects (Chaminda, Hettiarachchi, Seneviratne, Suresh, Toussaint and Vivekanandan) began on 7 September 2016 at Colombo High Court in front of Judge Manilal Waidyatilaka. On 27 October 2016 Waidyatilaka allowed the defendants' attorney's request for the case to be heard by a jury consisting exclusively of Sinhala speakers. This was despite objections from lawyers representing Raviraj's family. Police Constable Viraj, the state witness, was released on 22 December 2016. On 24 December 2016 the all Sinhala jury unanimously acquitted all five defendants who were subsequently released. In an unusual move, the verdict came shortly after midnight.

Electoral history + Electoral history of Nadarajah RavirajElectionConstituencyPartyVotesResult 1998 local Jaffna MC TULF Elected 2000 parliamentary Jaffna District TULF Not elected 2001 parliamentary Jaffna District TNA Elected 2004 parliamentary Jaffna District TNA Elected