Devananda, however, deposed before the city court concerned through video conferencing from at least 685 km away, the Indian high commission in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. According to prosecution, Lankan Tamils Selvanathan, Raghu, Ravi and Selvam along with Devananda were quarrelling on a Choolaimedu street on November 1, 1986 when around 30 residents surrounded them. Selvanathan brought fire arms from his house and the accused, Devananda and nine associates, started firing, killing a man named Thirunavukkarusu and injuring two others.

A mob set fire to the accused's vehicles and hurled stones at the house.

Police arrived, found weapons in the house and arrested four people, including Devananda. After arrest and initial remand in judicial custody, all 10 accused came out on bail and left the country . Devananda later became a MP in Sri Lanka and a minister.

According to special public pro secutor M Prabhavathi, prosecution witnesses Paneerselvam alias Paneer, Gurumurthy alias Guru, Mani and Veeramuthu were produced in court on Saturday when Guru and Veeramuthu identified Devananda as the person shooting from the terrace.

R Rajan, counsel for Devananda, said the ex-minister of Sri Lanka was not present at the scene of murder, nor was he involved in any unlawful assembly .

He was arrested only from the terrace of an adjacent house, he said, adding that he was still booked under Sections 148, 149 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) along with relevant sections of the Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.

"...if any case is made out, it may be only the arms and explosive substance act, according to the case of the prosecution," said the counsel requesting the court to delete the charges of murder and rioting.

National Information Centre (NIC) officials have recorded the entire proceedings.

The matter has been posted to March 15, 2016, for further hearing.

(timesofindia.indiatimes.com)