By Samanthi Weerasekera

A five-member forensic medical committee appointed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to determine the cause of death of the director of Janashakthi Group, Dinesh Schaffter, on Sunday, commenced a two-day discussion at the Faculty of Medicine of the Peradeniya University. Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Feb 27, 2023 ordered the appointment of an investigation panel comprising five judicial and forensic medicine experts to determine the cause of death of businessman Schaffter.

 Prof. Asela Mendis, forensic specialist of the Colombo University is the Chairman of the committee. Other members of the committee are Prof. U.C.D. Perera of Ruhuna University, Forensic specialist of University of Peradeniya Prof. Dinesh Fernando, former Judicial Medical Officer of the Kandy National Hospital Dr. Siva Subramaniam and Senior Judicial Medical Officer of the Karapitiya Hospital Dr. P.R. Ruwanpura.

The Magistrate appointed the five-member committee to determine the cause of Schaffter’s death, as there were contradictions between the original version of the post-mortem report and the final detailed report related to the businessman’s death.

On the Committee’s instructions, the body of Schaffter was exhumed on May 25 and a second post-mortem examination was conducted at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.

According to the five-member expert committee, the purpose of the two-day discussion is to review the scientific data and research reports received so far in connection with Schaffter’s death.

The Committee is expected to hold several rounds of discussions before announcing its final decision to the court whether the cause of Schaffter’s death was a suicide or murder.