Ruggerite Thajudeen’s mystery death:
Senior Police Officers to be quizzed
by Rasika Jayakody
As allegations surface of attempts to cover up the mystery death of
popular rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, the Criminal Investigations
Department (CID) will question former Senior DIG Anura Senanayake, the
Officers-in-Charge of the Narahenpita and Kirulapona Police stations in
Colombo and, several other senior officers who handled the initial
investigations.
Within the next couple of weeks the CID is likely to furnish a
comprehensive report to the Colombo Additional Magistrate based on the
statements recorded from these Police officers, an authoritative Police
source told the Sunday Observer.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Pieris last week directed the
CID to probe what appears to have been attempts to obstruct the early
inquiries in this mystery death. The Magistrate ordered that statements
be recorded from the police officers involved in the initial
investigations into the incident.
The Additional Magistrate’s order came after Counsel Misbah Sathar,
on behalf of Thajudeen’s family, requested court for an order to be
issued directing the CID to conduct an investigation against the higher
ranking police officers including former Senior DIG Senanayake for
allegedly obstructing the investigations.
Counsel told court that he was reliably informed that the father of
the deceased had been summoned by former DIG Senanayake. In the presence
of the Narahenpita Police OIC, DIG Senanayaka reportedly informed
Thajudeen’s father that the death of his son was an “accident” and hence
no further investigation could be carried out.
According to the lawyer, the meeting between Thajudeen’s father and
the senior police officer took place soon after the Police recovered the
Rugby’s player’s wallet from the Kirulapona Police area - just days
after his mystery death seemingly in a car crash.
“Immediately after the recovery of the Rugby player’s wallet,
Thajudeen’s father was summoned to the office of Senanayake, the then
Senior DIG of the Western Province. According to family members of
Thajudeen, the OICs of Narahenpita and Kirulapona Police stations had
been present at the Western Province Senior DIGs office when the Rugby
player’s father walked in,” the lawyer said.
Thajudeen’s father, according to the family lawyer, had first been
kept outside the office room of the Senior DIG while the high-ranking
Police officer had a meeting with other officers handling inquiries into
the matter.
After the meeting, the Senior DIG had conveyed to Thajudeen’s father
that there was no point in proceeding with investigations as the Police
had decided that it was an accident. The lawyer said that initial
investigations into Thajudeen’s death had then ended under mysterious
circumstances.
Meanwhile, sources close to Thajudeen’s family said they would also
make a complaint with the National Police Commission against the senior
police officers who had handled initial investigations into the
incident. |