By Pushpakumara Mallawarachchi

Gampaha, Han. 27 (Daily Mirror)- A body which was being cremated had been taken out and referred to JMO Wathupitiwala Hospital for postmortem examination.

The deceased woman, R.D. Sirisoma Ranasinghe (81) of Veyangoda area was an inmate of a home for the aged in Mirigama. The doctors had declared that she had died of pneumonia and accordingly taken steps to cremate the body.

Police said she had taken ill and admitted to Mirigama Base Hospital and died of pneumonia as decided by the doctors.

However, when her guardian did not show any response to information on her death, the home for the aged had taken steps to cremate the body at the Mirigama crematorium.

Meanwhile, when a relative complained to SSP Gampaha division that he suspected foul play, Mirigama Police had taken steps to initiate an investigation. A police team, with Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Thusitha Pramod Wijeyawardene called over to the crematorium, and removed the body which was being cremated and referred it to Wathupitiwala Hospital for postmortem examination.

OIC Mirigama Police CI Upul Hettiarachchi is conducting further investigations.