Death of Dinesh Schaffter:Court calls for Government Analyst reports

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued an order directing the CID to obtain the Government Analyst’s reports on the productions referred to him by court regarding the investigations into the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter.  

Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya observed that the court is yet to receive analytical reports pertaining to the production items including several blood samples which have already been referred to the Government Analyst.   

 The Additional Magistrate ordered the CID to take necessary steps to obtain these reports from the Government Analyst. Meanwhile, the Additional Magistrate said that there is a possibility of sending a reminder to the Government Analyst regarding these reports, if necessary.   

The body of businessman Dinesh Schaffter was recently exhumed before a panel of medical experts who were appointed to perform a fresh post mortem inquiry.   
On February 27, the Court appointed a five-member-panel of medical experts to perform a fresh post mortem inquiry into the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter, in order to ascertain whether the death was a murder or suicide.   

The five-member-panel comprised Professor Asela Mendis (Chairman) Professor B.C.R. Perera, Professor D.H.S. Fernando and two JMO’s Dr. Siva Subramanium and Dr. B.R. Ruwanpura. They have been tasked with performing a fresh inquiry to decide the actual cause of death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter.  

The aggrieved party had highlighted several contradictions and inconsistencies in the first post mortem report compiled by the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer.  

• The body of businessman Dinesh Schaffter was recently exhumed before a panel of medical experts