Sri Lankan politician on trial for killing Rochdale Red Cross worker

Khuram Shaikh

A politician with links to the Sri Lankan President is to go on trial this week charged with the murder of Rochdale Red Cross worker Khuram Shaikh.

Sampath Vidanapathirana is one of six men charged with the murder of 32-year-old Khuram Shaikh, who was shot and stabbed to death at a beach resort while on holiday on Christmas Day, 2011.

Khuram’s partner Victoria Aleksandrovna, who was badly assaulted during the attack on Khuram, is also due to give evidence in the case that starts in Colombo on Wednesday 25 March, as is his brother Nasir, an NHS project manager in Liverpool.

For Rochdale’s MP Simon Danczuk, the trial is the culmination of a two-year campaign with Khuram’s family that has seen him travel to Sri Lanka to meet Sri Lankan ministers, raise the matter in Parliament and lobby the Prime Minister to raise Khuram’s case directly with the Sri Lankan President.

In a personal letter from David Cameron last year, the Prime Minister told Danczuk that he'd raised Khuram’s case “very directly” when he met with President Rajapaksa at last November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo.

Speaking ahead of the trial, Simon Danczuk said everyone involved in the campaign had high hopes of justice being delivered.

“When we first went over to Sri Lanka people told us we had no chance of getting a trial but we all refused to accept this and have fought hard for over two years to bring the suspects to court. We’ve made sure Khuram’s case was pushed at the highest levels and we’ve had the support of the Prime Minister and Prince Charles. It’s been a long journey and one that’s been extremely difficult for Khuram’s family, as they understandably want answers. I know his father still goes to Khuram’s grave every day and we now want to see justice finally run its course.

“Khuram was held in very high regard all over the world and he worked selflessly to help people who had lost limbs from bombs, landmines and diseases in some of the most dangerous places imaginable. I have told Sri Lankan ministers that there is a lot of anger in the UK over his death and we will not rest until those that committed this terrible crime are behind bars.”

Khuram’s brother Nasir added that it had taken much longer than he had hoped for the case to come to court but he was relieved that the day had now come.

“For over two years we’ve been waiting for a trial date and we’re pleased that finally the suspects are going to be held accountable in a Sri Lankan High Court,” he said. “The family hopes that no stone has been left unturned in the investigative and forensic process and that no political interference will prevent justice being delivered.”