CID ordered to hand over late businessman Schaffter’s remains to his family

The Colombo Additional Magistrate has ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to hand over the remains of late businessman Dinesh Schaffter to his family as postmortem examinations have been concluded, Ada Derana reporter said.

The Colombo Additional Magistrate has ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to hand over the remains of late businessman Dinesh Schaffter to his family as postmortem examinations have been concluded, Ada Derana reporter said.

The specialist doctors’ committee appointed to compile a report on Schaffter’s death had informed the courts that the relevant investigation activities have been concluded, and that the remains of the late businessman can be released.

Furthermore, Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya, also pointed out that the five-member expert committee headed by Prof. Asela Mendis, which was appointed by the court to compile a report on Schaffter’s death has informed the court that their judicial investigations have been completed.

Accordingly, the Additional Magistrate, who stated that the expert committee has requested the court to issue an order for the release of Schaffter’s remains, ordered the CID to hand over the body to his family under the supervision of Prof. Clifford Perera and Judicial Medical Officer P.R. Ruwanpura.

Later, the case was also ordered to be recalled on October 09, 2023.

The remains of late businessman Schaffter, whose death remains largely unsolved, was exhumed on May 25, 2023 under judicial supervision and armed security, on orders of the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

The former Janashakthi Group of Companies Director was found tied up in his car at the General Cemetery in Borella on December 15, 2022 and died a day later while receiving treatment at the ICU of the National Hospital in Colombo.

On May 19, the five-member committee of judicial and forensic medical experts appointed to uncover the actual cause behind the death of the reputed businessman requested the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to issue an order allowing the exhumation of the body of the deceased.

In a written request to the court, the committee had explained to the Colombo Additional Magistrate that another postmortem examination was required in order to determine the cause behind the death of the former Janashakthi PLC Director.

On February 17, the Colombo Additional Magistrate ordered the appointment of a five-member expert committee to compile a report on Schaffter’s death, and called for a list of senior Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs) from the Director General of Health Services, while the University Grants Commission (UGC) was also ordered to submit a list of senior university lecturers who specialize in forensic medicine.

Upon receiving the two lists, an experts’ committee was appointed to probe the matter as contradictions have been observed in the post-mortem reports.