One of the accused convicted of murder of a schoolgirl in Punkuduthivue in Jaffna Shivalonathan Vidya, in 2015, and sentenced to death, died at the Kandy National Hospital yesterday.
The deceased Pubalasingham Thavakumar Sendil, 37, was a resident of Kayts. He had been detained in Dumbara Prisons in Palklekele pending judgement in his appeal against the death sentence passed by the Jaffna High Court.
A spokesman for the hospital said the prisoner had developed pneumonia and died in a short while after admitting to hospital.
The post-mortem was to be held at the Kandy National Hospital yesterday.