Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Hemali Halpandeniya has assigned further investigations into the mysterious death of a journalist’s husband to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Accordingly, notice has been issued to the Director of the CID to appear before the court on March 18.

The deceased has been identified as Agosthinuge Samarajeewa, a 60-year-old resident of Waidya Road in Dehiwala.

It is reported that after his wife noticed her husband had not returned home after work on January 1, she went looking for him and later found him in critical condition with bruises at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital the following day, January 2. 

The injured person, who was in critical condition, succumbed to his injuries on the morning of January 3.

Meanwhile, on the day of the incident, a former Air Force officer, who is the husband of a lawyer, had informed the 119 Police Emergency Hotline that a person was found lying in the garden of a house on Hill Street in Dehiwala, which is owned by his wife.

Attorney-at-Law Geethma Fernando, presenting evidence on behalf of the aggrieved party, stated in court that that fact that the Dehiwala Police officers who arrived at the scene at around 11 p.m. to inspect the injured man had proceeded to wash him and changed his clothes instead of taking steps to hospitalize him immediately. 

The attorney also claimed that Dehiwala Police had not conducted a proper investigation into the incident.

However, Dehiwala Police stated before the court that statements have been recorded from the homeowner and residents related to the incident.

Accordingly, after considering the facts presented, the Additional Magistrate has entrusted the CID with conducting further investigations into the death, as the autopsy report identified the cause of death as assault with a blunt weapon, and as it would not be possible to expect the Dehiwala Police to conduct a fair investigation into the case.

The case is scheduled to be heard again on March 18.