Sri Lankan I.T. manager sentenced to life in U.S.

London, Nov 4 (PTI) A New York-based Sri Lankan I.T.
manager has been sentenced to life by a U.S. court for killing
his fellow countryman here seven years ago.

Balagurubavan Balakrishnabharthy (26), who murdered
Arvinthan Muthukumararasamy, was sentenced to Life at the Old
Bailey here to serve a minimum of 15 years, the Metropolitan
Police said Monday night.

He would be deported to his country on his release.
Earlier, two others -- Sivageethan Punniyamoorthy,
from Mersey Walk in Northolt in the U.K. and Senthamil
Thillainathan from Chatworth Avenue in Wembley -- were found
guilty in the case and both sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, on June 17, 2001, five
Sri Lankan men were attacked as they sat in their Vauxhall
Calibra in Ealing Road in Wembley.

All five victims had been playing cricket in Alperton
in the afternoon and had gone to a video shop in the Ealing
Road to get a video and buy some drinks.

A silver Audi pulled up with a number of occupants
inside including Balakhrishnabharthy and they attacked the
occupants of the Vauxhall Calibra with swords, axes and metal
poles.

The rear middle passenger was struck twice across the
top of the head with an axe and was pronounced dead later. He
was identified as 25-year-old Aravinthan Muthucumarasamy. The
front seat passenger nearly had his hand severed and all the
other occupants were seriously injured.

An investigation was launched and a number of arrests
were made, eventually leading to two individuals being charged
with the murder of Muthucumarasamy and attempted murder of
four others.

A trial took place at the Old Bailey in October 2002
where Punniyamoorthy was convicted of the offences, but the
jury were undecided as to the quilt of Thillainathan and a
retrial was ordered.

Thillainathan was found guilty of the murder at a
second trial in 2003.

Officers identified Balagurubavan Balakhrishnabharthy
as a suspect following the attack but extensive enquiries
were unable to locate him in the U.K.

Enquiries with authorities in the U.S. and Canada
revealed that the defendant had entered the U.S. on October
30, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia from Zurich, Switzerland using a
stolen passport.

In June 2007, he was charged with the murder of
Muthukumarasamy.

Detective Inspector Andy Manning Monday night said:
"The prosecution of Balakhrishnabharthy demonstrates the Met's
dedication to bringing to justice those who are responsible
for serious crime.

"I am sure that Arvinthan has not been forgotten by
his family, and the investigating team have not forgotten what
his murderers did to him. This is the third trial, that has
been successfully prosecuted, we are committed to ensuring
that those responsible are put before the courts, no matter
what the time delay or how far they run."

Suganthan Muthucumarasamy, Arvinthan's brother said:
"I would like to thank the murder investigation team who
worked tirelessly to bring my Arvinthan's killer to justice."
PTI H.S.R.
RKM