Dinesh Schaffter’s autopsy inquiry further postponed

By T. Farook Thajudeen

The Magisterial inquiry into the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter was once again postponed to 4 April by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court yesterday.

The case was postponed for 4 April due to the unavailability of the permanent Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya who conducted the post-mortem inquiry from the inception of the incident.

Colombo Additional Magistrate M.I.S Bandera Illangakoon, before whom the case was called yesterday, postponed the case for 4 April.

However the counsel who watched the interest of the family of Dinesh Schaffter during the autopsy inquiry informed the court that the special panel of expert doctors including experts in forensic and medical field are examining the matter in a manner acceptable to all.

Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya had appointed a five-member expert committee of doctors in forensic medicine and in the medical field to probe and determine the cause or causes into the death of entrepreneur Dinesh Schaffer’s death.

The panel comprises Prof. Asela Mendis, Prof. D. C. R. Perera, Prof.  D. N. P. Fernando, Dr. Siva Subramaniam and Dr. Rohan Ruwanpura are examining and holding an inquiry to decide the actual cause of death of Dinesh Schaffter. 

Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya appointed the expert panel since there were contradictions in the post-mortem report submitted earlier to the court regarding the death.

Dinesh Schaffter was found unconscious and tied inside his vehicle at the General Cemetery in Borelli on the evening of 15 December 2022 and was rushed to the ICU of the National Hospital in Colombo. He was pronounced dead while undergoing treatment.