Thajudeen murder case: Arrest warrant issued against ex-Chief JMO
October 31, 2019 09:21 pm
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (31) issued an arrest warrant on former Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of Colombo Ananda Samarasekara, who is cited as the third suspect in Wasim Thajudeen murder case.
The case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalani Perera today.
According to Ada Derana reporter, the hearing proceeded in the absentia of the accused.
The Additional Magistrate hence issued an arrest warrant on the former Chief JMO and ordered his sureties to present themselves before the judge at the next hearing.
Another accused in this murder case, former Senior DIG Anura Senanayake also failed to appear before the court today for the case hearing. Defence attorneys told the court that their client is currently hospitalized.
Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake, speaking on behalf of the Attorney General, stated that investigations are being carried out on multiple telephone conversations pertaining to the murder case of former rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.
The Additional Magistrate ordered to take up the case again on the 20th of November and called for a report on the progress of the investigations.
On the 17th of July 2012, local rugby player Wasim Thajudeen was found dead inside his car that was ablaze in front of the Shalika playground in Narahenpita.
It was initially ruled that the death was caused by a motor accident; however, it was later revealed the rugby player was murdered.
Dr. Samarasekara was assigned to conduct the postmortem examination on Thajudeen’s body, but he had not actively taken part in the procedure and handed over the responsibility to two of his junior medical officers.
The Attorney General alleges that Dr. Samarasekara, during the postmortem examination, had destroyed evidence of the case by intentionally displacing two of the bone fragments from the body, which were vital for the proceedings of the investigations, says Attorney General’s Coordinating Officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne.
Dr. Samarasekara had surrendered to the court back in 2017 over Wasim Thajudeen’s murder case and was granted bail later.
