Sarah Jasmine, wife of Katuwapitiya Church bomber, confirmed dead

Opposition question credibility of DNA   

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya and Yohan Perera   

 DNA tests have revealed that Pulasthini Mahendran, alias Sarah Jasmine, the wife of Katuwapitiya Church bomber, had died during the suicide bomb explosion in a safe house in Sainthamaruthu on April 26, 2019, days after the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, Police said. 

 They said that the Government Analyst Department had conducted the DNA test and submitted the report.   

 Police said DNA samples obtained from Sarah’s mother and several bone fragments found at the blast site have confirmed a 99.9999 percent biological match between a mother and child.   

 Zaharan Hashim’s brother Mohamed Rilwan detonated a suicide vest killing 17 people including children on April 26, 2019. Then the investigating officers have decided to exhume the body parts again as this was not revealed during the tests carried out on two occasions. A witness has said that Pulasthini Mahendran had fled to India by sea in September of 2019   
 Meanwhile the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday questioned the credibility  of the latest report which said Sarah Yasmin is confirmed dead. Former MP Mujibur Rahman questioned as to how the latest DNA test confirmed that she was dead when previous tests confirmed her remains were not there with the others.   
“This sounds like a conspiracy. Bodies of those who died during the bomb blast should be exhumed,” he said. 

• SJB questioned the credibility  of the latest report which said Sarah Yasmin is confirmed dead