The total number of skeletons uncovered at the Chemmani mass grave site has now climbed to 90, with 25 additional skeletons unearthed this week alone, as excavation efforts intensify ahead of the approaching monsoon season.
On Friday, at least two complete skeletons were discovered by the team led by Professor Raj Somadeva, working in collaboration with students from the University of Jaffna, the crime unit of the Jaffna Police, and Judicial Medical Officer Dr. S. Piranavan, under the direction of the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.
Excavations are currently taking place at two designated locations, identified as Site 1 and Site 2. At Site 2, a skeleton believed to be that of an infant was found this week, along with personal items such as a feeding bottle, socks, and a bangle.
The second phase of the latest excavation commenced on July 21. During the first phase, 81 skeletons were exhumed, along with various items marked as evidence. These remains and objects are now under judicial custody.
Meanwhile, human remains discovered at Site 2 were sealed on Friday following confirmation through medical examinations that the burial had been conducted legally. It was further verified that a postmortem examination had previously been performed on the body. The sealing of the remains was carried out under the directive of Jaffna Magistrate A. Aanantharaja.
Attorney-at-law V. S. Niranjan, who represents families of the enforced disappeared and is among the team of lawyers monitoring the ongoing excavation, noted that adjacent areas of the cemetery were cleared on Friday in an effort to investigate the possibility of more buried human remains.
“We noticed that a nearby land area was cleared in order to use the scanners to check whether more bodies are buried within the premises,” he stated.
In accordance with a court directive, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has now taken over the investigation at the Chemmani site from the Jaffna Police, effective this week.
Yesterday (26 July), a protest was held in Chemmani and across all five districts in the Northern Province, organized by relatives of the enforced disappeared and civil society groups. The demonstrators called on authorities to ensure justice and reveal the truth surrounding the Chemmani mass grave.
