Noose Tightens Around Ex-JMO In Lasantha Murder Probe
By Nirmala Kannangara
Investigations being conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into the murder of the founding Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickremetunge has led to more evidence being gathered which could lead to the arrest of the former Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital Dr. K. Sunil Kumara.
The latest autopsy report on Wickrematunge’s assassination had revealed that he died as a result of injuries sustained from a sharp object to the right side of the head and not gun-shot wounds.
Dr. K. Sunil Kumara had however ruled that the cause of death was due to injuries caused following the discharge of a firearm.
Defence sources said that Dr. K. Sunil Kumara had misled the investigations following Wickrematunge’s death and so he now faces arrest.
Dr. Sunil Kumara had also allegedly removed Wickrematunge’s file from the Kalubowila hospital when he went on retirement to impede any future investigation.
“On whose advice did Dr. Sunil Kumara give such a misleading autopsy report when there was neither entry nor exit bullet wounds on Wickrematunge’s body? Without taking an X-ray, how could Dr. Kumara come to a conclusion that Wickrematunge died of gunshot injuries. Had he ever visited the scene of crime and spoken to the people to find out whether they heard any gun firing. Had he checked the vehicle the deceased was driving and the scene of the crime whether there were cartridges? It was the same with Wasim Thajudeen’s autopsy report as well. Although the former Colombo Chief JMO Dr. Ananda Samarasekera gave a misleading report to show that the rugby player died due to the fire which broke out in his car, Dr. Ajith Tennakoon confirmed that Thajudeen had been killed,” sources said.