Yesterday (18) the five-member panel of experts chaired by Dr. Asela Mendis of Colombo University requested the Colombo Additional Magistrate Mrs. Rajindra Jayasuriya to issue a court order to exhume the body in order to make a decision regarding the death of Janashakti Group Director Mr. Dinesh Shafter. .
The five-member expert medical board investigating whether the death of Mr. Dinesh Shafter was a suicide or a murder has informed the court in a letter that based on the evidence obtained in relation to the investigations conducted so far, it has been decided to exhume the body and conduct a post-mortem examination. The Magistrate decided that the Criminal Investigation Department should be informed in this regard and stated that the case needs to be called again.
In order to make a correct decision regarding the death of Mr. Dinesh Shafter, Colombo Additional Magistrate Mrs. Rajindra Jayasuriya appointed the five expert medical board chaired by Dr. Asela Mendis of Colombo University on February 27. As the chairman of this five-member medical committee, Dr. Asela Mendis, forensic specialist of Colombo University, Professor D.C.R.Perera of Ruhunu University. , Peradeniya University Pathologist Professor D. Fernando, Peradeniya Hospital High Court Medical Officer S. Sivasubramaniam and Galle Karapitiya Hospital Senior Forensic Officer G.R. Ruwannuwara has been nominated by the magistrate as other members.
All documents including autopsy reports, DNA reports, SOCO officials’ reports, reports of the emergency department where Mr. Shafter was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, psychiatric reports of Mr. Shafter, who died on 15/12/2022 was given to the committee through the court registrar. Accordingly, as per to the powers assigned in Section 375 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Magistrate appointed this five-member medical committee to determine the cause of Mr. Shafter’s death.
According to the DNA reports received so far, two alien biological samples have been identified, and for comparison, ten medical staff of the Colombo National Hospital who treated Mr. Shafter and blood samples of 21 police officers who conducted the investigation related to the incident have been sent to the Government Inspector’s Office to obtain DNA reports. Reference is made to court orders for delivery.