Former JMO given bail after being indicted over Thajudeen death

Former Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Ananda Samarasekara was granted bail yesterday after being served indictments for concealing evidence in the killing of ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen.

The Attorney General had filed charges against the suspect at the Colombo High Court under Section 198 of the Penal Code.  This was the first time that charges have been filed against a JMO. 

The Attorney General had filed charges alleging that Samarasekara knowingly withheld evidence of the suspicious nature of the death and had delegated the post-mortem of the deceased to two junior officers, even though it was his responsibility. 

The Attorney General had also charged that the Chief JMO delayed the post-mortem’s final report for two years despite the urgency and importance of the death. The accused had also removed bone fragments from the body and ordered that the body be sent to his office after the post-mortem examination was concluded.    

After filing charges, High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne had released the accused on a cash bail of Rs. 25,000 and two surety bails of Rs. 1 million. Lawyers for the defendant have said they will file objections to the charges.